Greener Pastures
by The Author's Mighty Pen
Summary: After his divorce and the death of his mother, John Bates seeks to fulfill his mother's last wishes and spread her ashes at Greener Pastures in Alberta, Canada. What he doesn't expect is for his mother's solicitor to inform him that she invested heavily in a ranch or that she made yearly trips there. Even more, he doesn't expect the ranch manager, Anna Smith.
1. Greener on the Other Side

He picked up the phone, sticking it between his ear and his shoulder while tapping away at his keyboard with one hand and jotting something down in child's scrawl with his non-dominant hand.

"John Bates speaking."

"This is Isobel Crawley."

"I'm sorry, who?"

"I'm the nurse on call for your mother."

John stopped, his jaw dropping in time with the pen in his hand. "What happened to my mother?"

"She's asking for you Mr. Bates." The woman on the other end of the line paused, "I don't think she's got very long Mr. Bates. I think you should hurry."

John hung up the phone, grabbing his jacket and keys as he hurried out the door. "Jane, hold all calls and cancel whatever meetings I still have for the rest of the day. I've got a personal emergency."

"Yes sir." The woman called after him as John slid into the lift, jabbing the button there harder than he needed to but not enough to ease the emotions roiling through him.

His leg shook, aching enough to leave his fist to grind deep into the muscle to stop the spasm there. It only stalled the pain until the lift doors opened. He attempted to run to his car but his leg seized and he limped to the door, opening it while grimacing past the pain.

Throwing the car into reverse he rocketed out of the parking garage, ignoring the honking from another car to speed down the street. No flashing lights followed his progress, even after he skidded around a corner and fishtailed before regaining control of his car. The engine revved, the tires on his sports car screeching over the road, and he slammed it to park in one of the open spaces near the building.

John ran inside, barely noting his tap of the fob to lock his car, and managed his limping gait to the main nurse's station. "Mrs. Bates?"

"This way Mr. Bates." The older woman motioned for him down the hall and John followed her, trying to stretch out his leg as he walked. "She's not in any pain but she's not entirely conscious."

"As long as I can see her." John followed the nurse to a room, waiting for her to open the door before going to enter but the nurse grabbed his arm. "What?"

"These are her last moments."

'You don't know that." John pointed in the woman's face, "She was fine this morning."

"I've worked in hospice care for a long time, Mr. Bates, I know what it looks like when someone decides they'll give over to the end." The woman bit her lip, "Just let her pass in peace."

"I wouldn't do anything else." John entered the room, immediately taking the seat next to the bed of the old woman connected to too many beeping machines. "Mum, it's John."

"Johnny?" Her eyes tried to blink open and her head turned on the pillow that almost swallowed her in its cloudy confines. "They said they'd call you but I don't trust phones."

"I know you don't Mum but I'm here and they got ahold of me." John covered his mother's hand with his, rubbing over the cold skin there. "I told them to heat up your room but your hands are still freezing."

"I've got poor circulation."

"You're room's too cold."

"I'm old, Johnny," The woman huffed at him, "This is what happens to old people. They get cold and then they die."

"You're not dying yet." John tried to laugh it off but it caught in his throat. "You're fine and you're just having a rough afternoon."

"Did you come here from work?"

"Of course. You were asking for me."

"I was?" She blinked and then made an 'o' with her mouth. "I needed to tell Johnny something."

"I'm right here Mum, what do you need to tell me."

"Don't bury me in that plot next to your father."

"What?"

"It's damp and I don't like that church. The paintings are horrible."

"It's the family plot Mum."

She blinked, "What's the family plot?"

"Where Dad's buried."

"I know what kind of plot it is but it's a horrible location."

John nodded, "I know, you just said."

"I've said it for years. Don't tell me you haven't been listening."

"I listened."

"Not when I told you not to marry that harpy."

John sighed, "I made a mistake then but the divorce finalizes in a couple days and it'll all be over."

"I'm going to die and that woman is still legally bound to me." His mother shut her eyes, grunting, "I'd rather be in hell. Don't let her come in here."

"She's banned from this place since you had a row with her two months ago." John frowned, "You don't remember throwing that vase at her head?"

"I would never throw something in public."

"You did."

"Then I didn't throw it hard enough." She paused, "I should've thrown something heavier."

"It doesn't matter now."

"What doesn't matter?" His mother's face scrunched in agitation and John leaned over the bed. "Johnny, I need to tell Johnny something before he tries to bury me in the churchyard."

"Mum, Mum, I'm here. What is it?"

"I want him to cremate me. Make sure he cremates me. I don't want to rot away in the ground." She was almost crying now, "I want to go back to Alberta."

"Alberta?" John's forehead lined in confusion, "Mum, you've never been to Alberta. You've never even been to Canada. You don't like planes."

"Make sure Johnny cremates me and spreads my ashes at Greener Pastures."

"What?"

"Johnny," Her grip tightened on his wrist and John made sure to look his mother in the eye. "Go to Greener Pastures and spread my ashes there. Make sure I spread to the wind there."

"I'll do it. Whatever you want consider it done."

"Good." She patted his hand, "You were always a good boy. So good to me."

"Of course Mum." He kissed her forehead, "I love you."

"And I love you, Johnny." She closed her eyes, breathing easier, "I love you so much. I just wish-"

"Wish what?" John stroked his mother's hand, "Wish what Mum?"

"I wish I could've shown you Greener Pastures. You would've loved it there."

"Loved it where?"

"Where the sky goes on forever." Her voice fell to a whisper and John strained to hear her. "A place away from everything. Heaven on earth."

"In Alberta?" John risked and his mother nodded.

"Alberta. I loved it almost as much as I loved you Johnny."

"I love you too Mum." John held his mother's hand, watching the slowing rise and fall of her chest. "I love you."

"I love you Johnny. Promise me you'll go there."

"Of course."

"Spread my ashes there. Spread my ashes in the place I loved most."

"I will Mum. Of course I will."

John held his mother's hand until it hung limp in his own and the drone of the flatline fell to background noise. The nurses came, moving him away from her as they checked all the vitals before disconnecting the machines. He could only stand there as the silence in the room fell under the blanket of experienced efficiency.

Someone rested a hand on his shoulder and John turned to see the same nurse from before. "Might I get you some tea, Mr. Bates?"

"That'd be lovely." John followed her to the canteen but only held the Styrofoam cup of sludge they called tea in his hand, swirling it a bit in his grasp for something to do.

The nurse cleared her throat, "You'll hear this over the next few days but I'm sorry for your loss. I liked your mother very much."

"Thank you, Nurse Crawley." John stared into the cup before meeting her eyes, "She liked you too. Said you had a quick wit and an acerbic tongue when you wanted."

"We all do."

"She liked people who spoke their minds and you never had a problem with it." John set the cup down, "How often did you talk with her?"

"Mostly on her rough nights. The ones where the pain was too much for her to sleep."

"Did she ever mention a place called 'Greener Pastures' in Alberta?"

"Canada?" John nodded and Nurse Crawley sipped her tea before shrugging, "Not that I remember, specifically. Why'd you ask?"

"She wants me to spread her ashes there."

"And you want to?"

"It was my mother's dying request to me. I wouldn't be a very good son if I didn't do it." John scratched the back of his neck, "I need to arrange for her to be cremated. I need to tell people. I need to-"

"Mr. Bates," Nurse Crawley interrupted his speeding thought train. "For the moment, as a nurse, I'd suggest you give yourself a minute to acknowledge that you've just experienced a loss."

John nodded, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He wiped at one tear but they flooded down and he buried his face in his hands. Weeping in the hospice canteen for the woman who loved him more than life itself and the request he did not know how to fulfill.


	2. Drunken Wake

John eventually composed himself, accepting the pile of paper napkins Nurse Crawley pushed toward him. "Thank you."

"Sorry they're not soft."

"I wasn't expecting them to be." John handled the thin napkins, wiping at his eyes with it before balling them up in wads of wrinkled paper. "It gets the job done and that's all that matters."

"Is it?"

"For now." John sniffed again, stacking a few of the napkins before risking using them to blow his nose. "And you're sure you've never heard her mention a place in Alberta, Canada?"

"For as often as we spoke she never mentioned it." Nurse Crawley jumped in her chair, the buzzing vibration of her mobile on the metal table between them. She slid her finger on the screen, frowning, and then pushing her chair back. "I think we're needed back in your mother's room Mr. Bates."

John wiped his nose one last time, grabbing his used napkins to toss them in the rubbish before walking with Nurse Crawley back to his mother's room. A quick look in told him they already moved her body but his attention was immediately stolen by loud shouting from the main hallway. His face hardened into a grimace when he recognized the decibel and tone of the voice ranting and raving in the distance.

He pushed through the swinging doors only to wince at the volume of the woman's shrill arguments with the attendant dutifully managing the front desk. "I don't care what she told you, she was delusional and demented. I'm her daughter, she'll want to see me."

"No, she wouldn't." John stepped up to the desk putting a hand on the woman's arm to push her away from the flustered young nurse a moment away from crying all over his log book. "She isn't in the mood to see anyone."

"You would say that." The woman snarled, pulling her falling bag straps up her arms. "But I'm here and I heard something might've happened to her."

"You're here to hold a mirror under her nostrils to see if she's still breathing before you try to take everything from her the way you did me." John stopped himself, taking a deep breath, "What are you doing here Vera?"

"I heard the old bat was nearing the end and I wanted to see her."

"And do what? Gloat when she breathed her last?"

Vera shrugged, "There was a possibility."

"Get out." John gripped Vera's arm, propelling them both through the door and out toward the carpark.

"Get your hands off me John Bates!" Vera scratched herself away once they were outside, facing him full of fury. "You can't hide her from me."

"I'm not hiding her from you."

"Yes you are." Vera pointed a finger in John's face, "What? Afraid that she might actually decide to leave me something in her will."

"No."

"Then why not let me see her?"

"Because she's dead, Vera." John took a deep breath, steadying himself. "She died an hour ago."

Vera scoffed, "And nobody called me? Nobody wanted to let me know that my mother just died?"

"Why do you always have to make everything about you?" John clawed through his hair. "My mother just died, Vera."

"And I could've been there for her in her last moments."

"I think her tossing a vase at your head the last time you were here says a lot about whether or not she wanted you here in her last moments." John waved his hands in front of Vera. "I don't care what you think you're going through right now but I'm sure the settlement you get when the papers come through in a few days'll soothe whatever worries you've got right now."

"How dare you assume I'm not hurt by this!"

"How dare you come here to antagonize my mother!" John pointed toward the carpark, "Get in your car and drive away Vera."

"If she left you anything I deserve my share of it." Vera hissed but John shook his head.

"No, you don't." John gritted his teeth, "And if you try to go after it I'll ruin you. You know I can and I will if you try and destroy my mother's memory."

"Why would I destroy her memory when she must've left me something?"

John scoffed, "My mother wouldn't leave you anything. She didn't like you when I married you and she hasn't liked you since then."

"You're just bitter."

"I'm seeing things more clearly." John sighed, grunting for a moment. "Look, I need to go and finish preparing my mother's body and everything that goes along with losing someone you care about."

Vera hardened her face, "And you don't care about me, is that it?"

"I used to." John walked back toward the hospice center, "Go back to wherever you came from today, Vera, and don't bother me anymore. You're getting everything you want in a few days and then we never have to see one another again."

"You'll like that won't you?"

"I don't know," John pointed toward the building, "I'm grieving over my mother so I don't know what I'll be feeling."

Vera sorted, "She always got between us."

"I should've listened to her then." John shook his head, walking away from Vera. "If I had then maybe none of this would've happened."

* * *

John tightened his tie, sighing at his reflection in the mirror before pulling his jacket off the back of a chair before shoving his keys and wallet into his pockets. Taking a deep breath he walked down the stairs, listening to the creak of the stairs in the house that rang with the echoes of his presence. Empty sounds bounced off the walls when John unhooked his coat from the hanger near the front door.

He looked around the empty rooms before shaking his head and leaving the house. The roads were relatively empty so John pulled his car into the carpark in very little time. With a quick check to his mobile, he exited the car to head inside the building.

The man at the bar waved to him and John headed over, "Is everything ready Mr. Laing?"

"Yes." He pointed to the gathered tables. "I've got everything set out and I've got your tab open."

"Perfect." John removed his coat, unbuttoning his jacket to sit at one of the stools. "How many wakes have you done?"

"More than I'd like to admit." He picked up a crate and dropped it on the top of the counter. "But I'm honored to give a wake for your mother. She was a great lady."

"She really was." John folded his coat over the chair when the door opened.

Slowly the bar filled with the mourners. John met each of them, shaking hands with each of them before they took their seats and started talking in low voices with one another. He shifted his weight at the door before working his way toward the corner where the microphone stand waited.

John tapped it and then cleared his throat to calm the waiting group. His hands shook but he clenched them, taking a deep breath to steady his voice before opening his mouth. Taking a sweep of the room he noted a blonde woman near the rear of the group. She smiled at him, nodding as if to give him a moment of strength. John managed a weak smile at her before blinking to refocus on the microphone in front of him.

"Good evening. I know many of you already but for the few of you I don't know, I'm John Bates and today we mourn possibly he best woman I've ever known."

"And he never stopped saying it." John stopped, mouth hanging slightly open as Vera wove her way toward him through the crowd with her sloshing drink. "I always thought there was something Oedipal about their relationship."

"Vera," John hissed, "What are you doing?"

"I'm telling them the truth." Vera wrenched the microphone from John's hand. "That you only married me to spite her for a moment and then she berated me for our entire marriage to make my life miserable."

"Vera stop this." John reached for the microphone but Vera danced away from him, her drink spilling all over his suit.

"Oh," Vera pouted, "Don't want people to realize what a degrading bitch she was? Or how, in her last months, she was going crackers?"

John grabbed the microphone from Vera's hand, placing it back on the stand before marching her out of the building. She fought her way free of his hold and spit on him. He pulled out his handkerchief, wiping off his face.

"Really? You came here just to ruin my mother's wake?"

"I came here to make sure you don't paint her as some sort of angel." Vera slurped at the remaining droplets in her glass before tossing it to the side to shatter against the building. "That woman left me nothing."

"Why should she?"

"Because I was her daughter-in-law!" Vera tilted toward him and John caught her before she could fall to the ground. Vera batted her way free, swaying to the side for a second. "She could've left me something for what I suffered with you."

"You didn't suffer anything I didn't get ten fold." John used his hand to point at his chest. "You don't think she saw what you did to me? The bruises you left on my skin and my soul?"

"Be a man John." Vera waved him off, "Don't be such a child."

"You almost killed me, Vera." John shook his head, "And you wonder why I pressed for a divorce."

"She always wondered why you didn't press sooner." Vera snorted, "It must've been so lonely with the two of you growing up alone in that house. Did you take comfort with her?"

"You're disgusting." John went to go back inside, "Don't come back inside Vera or I'll call the police."

"On your wife?"

"Haven't you heard?" John turned back at the door, "I'm newly divorced. The papers arrived today Vera. I'm free of you and I'd suggest you find somewhere to be free of me."

"You'll never be free of me John Bates." She practically thrust her finger at him, wobbling on her feet and stumbling to catch herself on the pavement but losing none of her ferocity. "I'll get what's owed me."

"You've already taken your pound of flesh. You won't get anything from my mother because she wasn't stupid enough to leave you anything anyway."

John had his hand on the door when something hit the back of his head. He stumbled forward, turning in time to raise his arm as defense for his face. Vera hurled another rock at him but John batted it down and jumped to hold her wrists in his hands.

"Let go of me."

"Are you mad?" John forced her away, working his mobile from his pocket and holding it up. "If you don't leave now I'll call the police. I'm not kidding Vera."

"That's the John I know, always giving up instead of fighting."

"I'm tired of fighting you Vera." John shouted, "Ten years of bickering and backstabbing and rage-"

"The sex was good."

"No, Vera, it was poison." John shook his head, the weight of everything dropping his shoulders. "Aren't you tired of fighting?"

"I've had to scrape and scrap my way to where I am and I'm proud of what I've given and done."

"If you were you wouldn't have demanded everything I had and then come after my mother." John threw up his hands, "I'm done with you. Legally I'm free and I won't be chained to you anymore."

"Just try and get away from me John Bates and I'll watch you slinking back." Vera sneered, "Like you always do."

"Not anymore." John opened the door and went back inside the pub. "I'm done with you."

The crowd inside hushed as he entered but went back to talking when John didn't join them but addressed Laing at the bar instead. "If she's still out there in ten minutes, call the police please Mr. Laing?"

"I always wanted to drop her ass in jail." Laing smiled, "So it'd be my sincere pleasure to call them on her but someone already did."

"What?" John blinked as flashing lights reflected into the pub. He walked to the door and watched Vera arguing with the constables there. After a moment one of them handcuffed her, just dodging her wild swing to keep them back. John gaped as they worked Vera into the back of the car and drop away.

Going back to the bar John pointed at the door. "Who called?"

"Some blonde woman. Shorter, kind of a plain pretty but seemed to have enough spine to recognize the devil when she saw it." Laing squinted at the group, "Huh, I guess she left in the bustle."

John scanned the crowd, sighing. "I guess so."

"Too bad. She seemed like someone I'd want to get to know better if she'd call the police on Vera Bates."

"Then we can all be grateful none of us have to know her better because she's no longer Vera Bates." John raised an empty glass, "To a ruined evening and the last of its kind courtesy of my ex-wife."

"I'll drink to that." Laing clinked his glass with John's.


	3. Never Really Know

John knocked on the door and waited for the man inside to call to him. Opening the door John walked to the desk, extending his hand to shake the mustachioed man's. "It's been some time Mr. Murray."

"In our business that's a good thing."

John took a seat across from Murray, with the desk between them. "I'll get right to the point, Mr. Murray. My mother mentioned something to me before she died and none of her nurses knew a thing about it. None of my cousins or relatives did either so I'm assuming you do."

"Know about what, Mr. Bates?"

"Greener Pastures." John studied Murray's face, "It's in Alberta, Canada."

Murray interlaced his fingers and unlaced them as he shifted in his chair, refusing to meet John's eyes. "I'm familiar with the place."

"What is it?"

"It's your mother's retirement. A ranch she bought there ten years ago."

"Ten years ago?"

Murray nodded, "She was adamant about the purchase, though I heartily disagreed at the time and many times after that, but she proved me wrong with its benefits as an investment property and a functioning ranch."

"My mother owns a ranch?"

"She does. Or did. It also operates as a campsite for renters, horseback-riding lessons, and even allows hiking on the marked paths. It's a small resort but it's rather incredible in both its management and its self-maintenance."

John sat back, letting the air from his lungs in a gust, "She had it for ten years and never told me about it?"

"That was her decision."

"Why didn't she tell me about it?"

"She worried your wife might discover it and then ruin it, as was her way. She grew even more secretive about it when your divorce proceedings started after her decline in health and insisted I make sure the younger Mrs. Bates remained ignorant of it so she couldn't demand it in the divorce."

"Well she can't demand anything of me anymore. The divorce is finalized and she's no longer my concern."

"Good." Murray pulled out a letter, "Then you might want to read this before we continue this discussion."

"What is this?"

"A letter Mrs. Bates entrusted I give you when you discovered the existence of Green Pastures if she was either not here to tell you herself or not in a mental state to do so." Murray handled it with care and handed it over to John. "She hoped it would serve as an adequate explanation of her secrecy about this."

Taking the letter with a tremor in his hand, John turned it over in his fingers. His focus stayed on the letter as he spoke. "When'd she write it?"

"About a week before she passed." Murray pushed back from his desk, "I'll give you my office so you can read it privately. Just poke your head out when you're done. There's no hurry and no one'll bother you so I'll leave you alone to read it."

The door barely closed when John muttered, "So I can cry in private more like."

He slipped his finger through the seal on the envelope and pulled the letter free. His mother's script, wriggling more than it did before she entered hospice care, reminded him of all the notes and dates and calendars she kept rigorously when he was younger. Clearing his throat, and shaking his head to try and get the tears forming at the edge of his vision to disperse, John read the letter.

 _Johnny,_

 _I know you wish I didn't call you that since you're a grown-up now but you'll always be my little boy. The little boy who had to grow up so fast to be a man. The little boy who gave up on his dreams so young because life came too soon for you. No matter what, that'll be my proudest moment and deepest regret._

 _It wasn't fair that you couldn't be my boy just a bit longer. I wanted to hold you in my arms a bit longer, hug you close until you squirmed away, and kiss your forehead when you fell asleep reading for a few more years. But people make their decisions and we have to live with the consequences._

 _This is a decision I wish I could've made with you. But with that witch of a woman hounding your every step and threatening your every move I couldn't risk it. I couldn't give someone that horrible something so wonderful. I couldn't let her get her grubby hands on Greener Pastures._

 _I'm sure Mr. Murray's told you that I bought the place ten years ago. Do you remember that conversation we had in my favorite pub on my birthday? You always took me there and spoiled me rotten all day. That day you were so downcast and I just wanted to give you somewhere you could go away from it all._

 _Away from her, mostly, but also away from the life you built because you had to._

 _I just couldn't trust her with it. Couldn't trust she wouldn't poison it like she poisoned everything. I know I told you not to marry her but originally I just thought she was just selfish. I didn't realize how horrible she truly was._

 _It's another regret of my life I didn't say more then. Or say something different to help you see what I saw. I didn't see it all but I saw enough. I wanted you to see it too._

 _But you didn't._

 _Not that me telling you not to marry her would've done a lick of difference since we always think we know best when we're young. Experience is an expensive and painful teacher and I never wanted that for you. I never wanted someone like her for you. Especially not her. Not for my wonderful boy who turned into such an astounding man._

 _That's why, with your divorce in sight and a brighter road ahead, I can finally give you this place. Offer you my safe haven, my oasis, and hope that you'll forgive me keeping this secret for so long. Once you're there you'll understand why I did what I did. Why SHE should never go there. Why I kept it a secret to keep it safe from her._

 _The end is near for me Johnny. I can feel it more everyday and while you refuse to accept it when you're here, preferring instead to talk about treatments and better care, I know better. The old always do._

 _I'm not scared, Johnny. I know you are. I know you think you've failed me but the worst truth is that no one gets out of this life alive. And even harder to accept is that we shouldn't want to._

 _Life is for living, Johnny. When it's over it's for remembering fondly and learning from. I hope you've learned from my mistakes… or at least from your own._

 _Go to Greener Pastures Johnny and live your life. Find your happiness again and know that no matter what, I'll always love you. It's my job._

 _Looking down on you from heaven and smiling all the while,_

 _Your Mum_

John dropped the letter and rubbed at his eyes. The box of tissues on Murray's desk soon returned half empty but John gathered himself and went to the door. He opened it, meeting Murray's eyes for the man to come back into the room.

Murray took his place on the other side of the desk, using the tip of his pen to push the box of tissues back within John's reach, and gathered the paper work. "I've here, at the request of your mother, a plane ticket for you to visit Green Pastures as soon as you can."

"I couldn't leave until at least next week. I've got six client meetings in the next three days that can't be rescheduled." John shrugged, "They came all the way from Korea, Japan, and China so they're pretty important."

"And I don't mean to suggest otherwise, Mr. Bates." Murray handed over the ticket. "But I'd encourage you to investigate the property quickly since there are interested eyes on it."

"Was my mother planning on selling?"

"Not to my knowledge but once news of her death got back to the area a developer expressed interest in purchasing the property if you didn't want to keep it."

John shrugged, "Bates International isn't in the business of land management and a plot in another country does make it a bit difficult to keep as a holding."

"As I said, it's self-sufficient and even contributed to the overall health of your mother's investment portfolio." Murray smiled to himself, "She did an excellent job when she hired the manager who keeps the place."

"Manager?"

"Yes," Murray dug through the papers, "I'll find the name somewhere and give it to you when I hand over the rest of the paperwork once I've filed it."

"You mean the death taxes?"

Murray nodded, "In execution of your mother's will and her final wishes she wanted all of that squared away so you wouldn't have to fret over it."

"Generous to a fault."

"She was that Mr. Bates." Murray sniffed, "I will say this. She did stipulate that any sale of the property could only be concluded with the agreement of the manager."

"Why's that?"

"According to the title and deed on the land it's a joint venture. Your mother owned the majority of it but thought since the manager lived there full time and managed the property it shouldn't be sold without that agreement."

"Again, generous to a fault." John sighed, "Who's the developer interested in the property?"

"His name is Alex Green and he owns a development firm in the area." Murray held an open hand toward John, "I could arrange a meeting for you while you're there."

"Let's wait until I can actually set a date to visit." John took a deep breath, "Funny how you never really know people isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bates, but I fail to follow."

John shrugged, "My mother invests in a retreat for me and never gets to show me. There I was, thinking my life was over and now my ex-wife's out of my hair. And I used to sit in my office thinking life was empty. Now it's all hit the fan and I'm just caught in the gust."

Murray could not have looked more awkward as he shuffled and swallowed. "I guess life can surprise us Mr. Bates."

"I'd say it's more like someone yanked the rug out from under me and I'm still caught in the free fall." John took a deep breath, "Schedule the trio for next week and find me the name of the manager and the contact information for Mr. Green. I want all my options open when I go there."

"That I can do, Mr. Bates." They stood and John shook Murray's extended hand. "It was a pleasure working for your mother and I do hope you'll continue to use this firm for your legal needs."

"I'm hoping not to have too many of those now." John smiled, "But thank you, Mr. Murray."

He walked to the door and Murray called after him, "Your mother always spoke very highly of you, Mr. Bates, and I believe whatever secret she kept about Greener Pastures was so you could enjoy it when your life was a bit more peaceful."

John held up the letter, "So she said. Have a good day Mr. Murray."


	4. The Manager

John stopped at the bottom of the drive, craning his head over the steering column to try and see up the winding path and through the trees. His GPS blinked that he still had a ways to go so he put the car back in gear and pressed on the gas. Keeping his speed slow, worried about skidding in the gravel or into the trees all around the road, John worked toward the blinking end point on his GPS.

When he turned the final bend in the road John felt his jaw drop to hit the steering wheel. A large house with a wrapping porch sat on a rise above a large gravel parking area. He parked near the house and got out of the car to just squint at the house large enough to be a small hotel.

Walking around the car he glimpsed the fence that connected to a few barns and what he guessed was a stable. The gravel crunched underfoot and he gaped at the mountains behind the house that rose to tower above everything. Even at the top of their hill they sat in the shadow of the range that boasted snow capping its majestic peak while green swathes of trees sculpted down to join the remainder of the property.

He was so taken with this bit of paradise sequestered away in the middle of nowhere that he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard someone call out to him. Coughing to regain his composure, hand tight on the railing of the fence next to him, John pivoted to face the voice. When he did it took all of his effort to keep his mouth from dropping to hit the ground again.

"What?" He finally found words and noted how the woman standing on the porch just smiled at him.

She came down the steps of the house, her cowboy boots clacking on the wood, and crunched the gravel to come toward him. "I said, do you have a reservation?"

"Reservation?"

"For a tour? Or a room? Or…" She stopped, laughing, "You've got no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

"Afraid I don't." John extended a hand, "John Bates."

"Oh," She wiped her hand on her jeans, shaking with gusto. "Then I guess you do need a tour."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you're the new owner." She laughed, "Mr. Murray, the solicitor for all this, called ahead to warn me you were coming and that I should make sure you get a good look at the place before you sell it."

"He told you I wanted to sell it?"

She shrugged, "From what Maggie always told me, Mr. Murray wanted nothing more than to sell this place." She lowered her voice, "He never got over the idea that she came up with the idea of the investment and she was convinced it rankled that she made a decision without her."

"He did seem a bit surprised it all worked out." John cleared his throat, "But, I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused as to how you know anything about all that."

"I'm the manager here." She smiled at him, "Anna Smith, at your service."

John frowned a moment and then pointed a finger at her, "Have we met?"

"Not in terms of exchanging first names, if that's what you're getting at."

He shook his head, closing his eyes to try and place her. He snapped his fingers when it came to him, "You were at my mother's funeral, weren't you? I remember seeing you in the crowd."

Anna cringed, "It was a rather memorable experience, wasn't it?"

"Rather embarrassing is the phrase I'd use to describe it."

"It's a better way to say it than a lesson in holding one's drink." Anna snorted, "Honestly, a grown woman unable to control herself in public and then keep her temper at a wake for a wonderful woman. It was just insulting to Maggie's memory."

"It actually was rather par for the course in terms of Vera's relationship with my mother." John shook his head, "She was just upset that we were divorced and I didn't invite her to the funeral or to have her pick of my mother's things."

"Quite the vulture was she?"

"That's one way to put it."

"I would've said abusive but I only saw part of the violence."

John paused, noting how Anna stopped herself going further. "Were you the one to call the police on her?"

Anna shrugged, "I tend to do that when I see someone getting mistreated or abused."

"I didn't-"

"Oh no, Mr. Bates," Anna held up her hands, cutting him off, "I didn't mean that you were mistreating her. I saw you being mistreated."

"Most would find that unmanly."

"I thought it the epitome of bravery not to strike back, regardless of how justified you would've been in putting that harpy out in the gutter."

"There were certainly times I wanted to."

Anna sighed then shook her head. "I'm sorry, that was rather personal and probably more than you wanted to share with a stranger within the first five minutes of meeting them."

"Seeing as you met my ex-wife the way you did and witnessed what you did there I doubt very much we're what anyone could reasonably call strangers." John motioned to the property. "Though I think my mother bought this place to escape Vera so I'd rather not bring her with me if it's all the same to you."

"Consider her forgotten." Anna jerked her head toward the house, "Come inside and we'll start with getting you all set up in a room before you see the rest of the property."

John retrieved his roller bag and briefcase from the car, following Anna into the foyer of the house. It rose three stories over his head with a large wooden staircase to a balcony on the second floor with a smaller set of stairs to the third floor. He craned his head back to see the roof and whistled at the sunroofs organized to flood the foyer with all-natural light.

"She wanted it as natural as possible." Anna knocked on the bannister before leading the way up the stairs. "It's a light oak because she wanted it reflecting as much as possible but the flooring for the second and third floors are all dark walnut. Gives a better color."

"Did you help pick it out?"

"No," Anna led him past landscapes and seasides interspersed with detailed animal portraits. "I was just the onsite manager for it all."

"Can I ask how that happened?" John slipped past Anna into the room with a king-sized four-poster with a fireplace and two windows abutting one another in the corner.

"Before you Mum bought this place it was a rundown horse stable." Anna knocked on the wall, "It had good bones but the owners had already given it up mostly since they moved to Toronto two years before."

"But you worked here?"

"I did." Anna slipped her hands into her back pockets, billowing her button-down slightly and Jon tore his gaze away to set his roller bag by the bed and his briefcase on the desk set between the two windows giving the room its light and a view of the expansive valley below them.

"Giving riding lessons?"

"It was part of an exploratory internship that I never quite left." Anna laughed, "I was attending University of Leeds and I'd gotten a pretty decent riding scholarship. One of my instructors told me about this place and a competition to try out Western style riding."

"You seem to've settled into it pretty well." John inspected the en suite bathroom before popping the catch on his bag to open it over the bed.

"It called to me." Anna leaned back on the wall with a shrug. "I was Yorkshire, born and raised, but the moment I caught sight of these mountains I knew I could never go back. So I transferred to University of Alberta, changed to hospitality, and graduated to come and run this place."

"And that's how you met my Mum?"

Anna nodded, "She came here on a vacation and we got on like a house on fire. I mentioned how the place needed to survive, to be a refuge for people, and she ran with the idea. Came back two months later with the deed and says, 'want to help me run it' and I couldn't say no."

"So here you are?" John plugged in his electronics, checking his phone battery before slipping it into his pocket.

"Here I am." She pointed to his things, "Are you about settled?"

"Settled as I think I can be for the moment." John clapped his hands together, "How much can you show me of the property?"

"Dressed like a business man about to go to a board meeting?" Anna laughed, "Not much unless you don't care about your shoes."

John looked down and laughed, "I guess I'm not used to investigating my assets when they're outdoors."

"Stick to the buildings and skyscrapers?"

"It's my living."

"Glad it's not mine." Anna peeked toward his bag and grimaced, "You didn't really pack well for this trip."

"I wasn't expecting an expedition."

"Well," Anna scratched at the back of her neck. "There's a map in the study we can use for now, just to give you some basics, and walking around the buildings won't be too bad but I would find some trainers if you've got them."

"I can't remember the last time I worse trainers that wasn't at the gym."

"You really don't get out much, do you?"

John shook his head, "Can't say I do."

"Alright, there might be some Wellies in the back you could get into but we'll start in the study."

John followed her back down the stairs. She led him through a large sitting room, a game room with a pool table and foosball, a theater with an impressive flat screen, and finally into a library. Pulling the door at the end open Anna opened her hands to a room with two cluttered desks and a table with a map inlaid on the surface.

"Welcome to the study."

"Is this your office?"

"Used to be your Mum's when she was here." Anna pulled a rod off the wall and attached a pointer to the end of it with a marker. "But I've been cleaning it with the help of the accountant."

"Who?"

"The accountant, Bertie Pelham." Anna smiled, "Lovely man, you'll like him. He's soft spoken, very unassuming, and brilliant with numbers. Gets everything you throw at him and then some."

"You sound like his greatest advocate."

"I've worked with him a few years and he's the one who keeps Mr. Murray off our backs so I'd testify in front of the bar of God for that man." Anna started with the marker and pulled it along the topographical divots of the map to end at the beginning. "That mark is the extent of your mother's property."

John let his mouth fall open. "Are you serious?"

"She got it at a steal really since the owners had given up on it." Anna left a dot, "That's where we are now. We call it Main Lodge or GP Central."

"GP?"

"Greener Pastures." Anna left another cluster of dots in ascending locations up the mountain. "Those are the cabins and lodges we've got up the mountain. The highest ones we operate under a dual lease with a local mogul who runs winter and summer sporting resorts all over this area."

"Would that be Mr. Green?" Anna bristled and John raised a hand, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's…" She took a deep breath, "I hate that man and would never do business with him. Neither would your mother."

"He's apparently made an offer on the property."

Anna let the pointer fall, sighing as she put her hands on her hips. "That's why Murray's convinced you'd sell. Green's already got his hand up Murray's ass doesn't he?"

John coughed, "I don't know about that but-"

"Look, there's only one thing you need to know about this area and it's simple." Anna held up a finger, "Alex Green'll build it all into a pleasure resort for the rich and spoiled. He leave nothing for the locals and pillage this area until it's just a bunch of garish and grotesque displays shut half the year. And when he's not doing that, he'll offer a pittance for valuable land he'll then bulldoze into ugly, cookie-cutter condominiums that'll only destroy what's here. He's a soulless, spineless little wretch that'll scalp you and then spike the prices."

"You've obviously seen this all happen."

"I watched him chase the Gillinghams out of their steady cattle ranching business a few years ago and we've been cleaning up the mess from his failed resort near the hot springs." Anna shuddered, "Or they were hot springs until he razed them."

"I don't think I've ever heard someone destroyed verbally with that level of vehement vitriol."

Anna stopped, barking out a laugh. "I guess it'd not too far from the truth to say I'd like nothing more than to spit on that man's grave."

"Is this the moment you tell me you've got a shovel and a lot of land?"

"No, I'd say I've got a shovel and you've got a lot of land." Anna shrugged, "In the words o f Mark Twain, I've never wished anyone dead but there are people whose obituaries I'd read with considerable pleasure."

"I'll endeavor to never be one of those."

"I doubt you could be." Anna picked up the pointer again, "Now, as for the camping sites and other cabins we rent out."

Natural light waned to dusk by the time Anna finished her demonstration on the map and led him on a cursory investigation of the immediate property. The borrowed Wellington Boots gave him the beginnings of horrible blisters but Anna handed over the first aid kit without a word when they reached the large kitchen. She took a little twirl inside it and smiled.

"In a week Mrs. Patmore'll be filling this place with the most delicious of smells."

John addressed the blisters on the back of his heels and closed the kit. "Why is no one here now?"

"We're closed for mourning." Anna ran a finger down the island between them. "I thought it appropriate and I wanted to see what the new owner would do."

"Did you expect him to show up here?"

"Honestly?" Anna shook her head, "I thought you'd fall to Mr. Murray and sell up without even seeing this place."

"And now that I have?"

"I hope you'll be open to an offer."

"You want to buy it?"

Anna snorted, "I've not got that kind of money. Wish I did but I don't."

"Then what's your offer?" John put his elbows on the island and opened a hand toward her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I do hope you're not just having me on."

"I'm a business man and I don't know much about this investment. That makes you the most informed party and, as a relatively smart man, I know to rely on the instincts of those who know." John cocked his head at her, "So what's your offer?"

"Appraise this place yourself." John's eyebrows went up so she explained. "Let me take the next week to show you the extent of the property. See what we do, how we do it, and take a good look at our books. I know Mr. Murray probably already told you this place doesn't make much and that's true but it does pay for itself and the last few years we've been getting into the black instead of just breaking even."

"And you want to prove solvency to me?"

"I want you to prove it to yourself that your mother's investment in this place wasn't just for money. It's a sanctuary and a place of healing." Anna shrugged, "It healed her and gave me purpose. No amount of money could do that."

John considered a moment before speaking, "And if, after that week, I still don't want to keep this place on my portfolio?"

She took a deep breath, "If you really want to sell it after all that then I'll help you find someone to sell it to who won't abuse the land or the people here. Someone who'll love it the way it needs to be loved and give it new life."

"You'd help me sell it?"

"Everyone heals in different ways." Anna lowered her gaze to the island. "Your mother always wanted you to heal here but sometimes the best healing is leaving a place behind. It's possible that you got here too late for it to do more than that for you and I'll respect your decision if that's it but I'd curse you until the day you die if you sell this place just to make a quick buck."

John laughed, "I can see why my mother liked you."

"I liked her too. I wouldn't have taken the job otherwise." Anna extended her hand, "Do we have a deal?"

"Even though you're not in a position to make that deal?"

"Given that I've got a shovel and you've got a lot of unmarked land I'd say I can." Anna smiled at him, "What do you say?"

John took her hand, "I accept on two conditions."

"That's not how-"

"First is that whoever buys it, if I do sell, has to agree to keep you on. They need someone who'll love the bones of this place and you do." John held up a second finger with his free hand, "Second, you take twenty percent of the sale."

"I couldn't do that."

"You'll have to if I sell it." John released her hand, "And if I don't sell then I want you to stay in your current position."

"You do?"

"As I said, I need someone who loves the bones of this place." John looked around, "It's beautiful and I want to see it how you do before I make a decision."

"Then we'll need to get you better clothes than what you brought with you." Anna grinned, "You're not going to be doing a good job appraising this place dressed like that."


	5. In the Eyes of the Beholder

John turned a circle and Anna laughed a bit, "You're no Clint Eastwood but I'd say you could pass for someone from _The Magnificent Seven_."

"Which version?"

"Probably the newer one where Ethan Hawke looked a hot mess." Anna motioned him over, "I've got you on Jane. She's even tempered and patient so you'll not have to worry about her much."

"Are there horses I should worry about?"

Anna shrugged, "They're like people, Mr. Bates. They've got their tempers and their preferences. Jane's the one I use for my first-time riders and children because she's just a darling. I used Ethel for the more adventurous ones because she's a flirt and a tease. And I tend to leave James for the ladies because otherwise he gets obnoxious."

"So which one'll you ride?"

"Layl." Anna pointed to a black horse. "I've got a few others I only use for advanced riders and those practicing for their competitions. Thunder, Lighting, Storm, and Shadow are all for the backwoods riders who come back weeks later. Then there's the ones I named for members of the Avengers used for the professionals and the competition riders."

"What a collection."

"And each is worth their weight in gold considering they cost about that much." Anna motioned to the saddle, "Up you get."

John let out a breath and grabbed the saddle horn with one hand and the back of the saddle with the other. He fit his boot carefully in the stirrup and lifted himself with a jump to get into the saddle. The horse under him barely moved as he settled, letting out a nervous laugh when he missed getting his foot in the other stirrup the first time. Anna nodded at him and John managed it on the second round.

"Now take the reins in your hands and hold firmly but not tightly. She's smart so you only need to tell her where to go and how fast and she'll listen to you."

"If you say so."

"I know my horses Mr. Bates." Anna walked to her own horse, mounting far more smoothly than John had. "And I've taught hundreds of people to ride."

"Really?" John clutched at the reins, trying to find a grip he trusted to not worry the horse under him but would also give him the control he wanted. "Hundreds?"

"Well," Anna brought her horse next to his, "I've taught a few dozen how to ride well. The others just knew how to lead their horses on the trails so I guess that doesn't really count."

"It will for today."

"We're not going on any trails today Mr. Bates." Anna nudged her horse toward the gate and leaned over in her saddle to unlock it. "We're taking a tour of the edges of the property and it can get a bit harry."

"How harry?"

"Enough that you might have some problems if you're not careful." Anna held up a hand, "Don't worry. I know this land like the back of my hand and I trust these two gorgeous beasts underneath us to not lead us astray. They're loyal and intelligent and they want to stay safe as much as you do so they won't lead you astray."

"If you say so."

"I do." Anna clicked to her horse, "Come on Layl, we've got to get going."

They started at a trot, John bouncing in the saddle even when he tried to use his knees to hold himself steady. Anna came to his side, adjusting him slightly, and laughed. "You're too stiff."

"What?" John's eyes darted downward but noted Anna focused on his back and arms.

"You need to relax or she might throw you."

"Why would she do that?"

"Because they're intuitive and they know when someone doesn't trust them." Anna patted John's back. "Loosen up and trust Jane."

"How am I supposed to loosen up when I'm trusting my life to something that has it's own mind?"

"Because if you don't she won't trust you." Anna patted Jane's neck. "Trust her and she'll trust you."

John raised an eyebrow and sighed, "Alright."

"It's going to be fine. We're not galloping anywhere today." She pointed, "We're following that line there and then coming around to end right where we're starting."

John followed her, gripping with his knees and trying to relax his body. After a short time he gained a feel for the rhythm of Jane's walk and they moved back to a trot. He occasionally caught Anna's eye when she would check behind her to make sure he had not fallen off and gave her a reassuring nod.

"Tell me," She called back after they had been moving for some time up the hills toward the mountains. "What do you think of it?"

"I think I'm going to regret this when I sit down later."

"Your ass'll recover." Anna laughed, "I meant the view."

"Oh," John paused, tugging the reins just enough to bring Jane to a stop. "It's breathtaking."

"You know," Anna joined him, "I don't want to sound weird when I say this but I'll risk it anyway, this is the spot I brought your mother when she decided to buy this place."

"Really?" John brightened and Anna laughed.

"No, she actually decided it right over there." Anna pointed down to the house, now appearing far smaller. "All she had to do was get sight of this place and she was sold on it. The ride only sweetened the deal for her."

"I has for me."

"Already decided you won't sell the place then?" Anna turned Layl and John shrugged.

"Still in process."

"Then we should see the rest of it."

They continued around the line of the property, getting back as the sun made its comfortable bed below the horizon. Anna dismounted first, waiting to help John down if he needed it, and stepping back when he managed to land without falling on his face. She took the reins for both horses and led them back to the stables.

"Despite what you may think of yourself at the moment, Mr. Bates," Anna jerked her head to bring him toward her, "You actually rode like a natural once you stopped clenching."

"I think you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No," Anna removed the bridles and hung them on a pegboard under the names of the horses. "You got the feel for it and Jane liked you."

"I thought you said Jane likes everyone."

"I said Jane's good with everyone because she's a darling. She tolerates most people but she only likes a few." Anna brushed Jane under the nose when her hand, "Don't you? You just tolerate all those horrible children and tourists."

"I think we all just get tolerated."

"Not me." Anna grinned, "People love me."

"I could see that." John waited to the side, "You've got a very winning personality."

"I use it to my advantage." Anna waved him over, "I'm going to teach you how to unsaddle a horse and then you'll brush her out."

"Is this like the business where you buy the franchise and they make you work from the bottom up to appreciate the business?"

"It's more that I've only got two hands and that's two hands too few for two horses." Anna took her position at Layl's side and nodded at John. "Alright, see the main strap buckled under her belly?"

John found it, "Yes."

"Unlatch it so it hangs and then grab the saddle by the horn and the back to tug it off."

"Won't the blanket fall?"

"Yes but that's fine." Anna demonstrated, "Now try."

John managed to get the saddle off and catch the blanket before it hit the floor. Anna managed an impressed snort and draped the saddle in her hands over a rail and John put his next to it. With her indication John tossed the blanket into a pile before picking up one of the brushes.

"Grooming?"

"They're delicate creatures and we pamper them when we can." Anna brushed at Layl's neck. "Plus we need to get anything in their hair out before it causes them trouble later."

"Sounds like advice I should've applied to my ex-wife." John muttered and noted Anna's snort. "What?"

"We've all got things that get under our skin but most people take the chance to remove those things."

"I don't think I did it soon enough."

"We're human," Anna shrugged, moving to Layl's side to brush in long strokes that John copied. "We all make mistakes."

"You seem to have avoided them."

"Appearances aren't everything Mr. Bates." Anna batted down a flick of Layl's tail. "We're all battling out own demons."

"But this place helped you with yours?"

Anna paused, moving to Layl's other side, "I think it gave me purpose when I just floated before. Its healing powers aren't really limited to one thing or the other."

"Not sure I've ever been anywhere that anyone said had healing powers except hospital and most people were only fifty-fifty about that."

"Healing is different for everyone." Anna sighed, finishing her brushing and leading Layl to his stall. She watched John finish brushing Jane and gave her impressed smile as he stepped back. "I think you rode horses in another life Mr. Bates."

"Because I can brush a horse?"

"Because Jane likes you and Layl does too." Anna directed Jane to her stall. "I always trust a horse that trusts other people."

"And that's got you convinced I was some kind of horsemaster in a former life?" John put the brushes back and dusted his hands on his jeans.

"It's got me convinced you could get used to a saddle."

"I'm already sore."

"The muscles get stronger, just like with anything else." Anna slapped her rear. "Don't think this ass wasn't sore beyond belief the first time I got into a saddle."

"I'm trying very hard not to think about your ass." John admitted.

"Why not?" Anna grabbed the pile of blankets, walking to the end of the stables where an industrial sized washer and dryer sat. "Most people who come here do."

"Really?"

"We get bachelor parties, frat boys, and the middle aged men with their nagging wives and children looking for something else to fantasize about." Anna dumped the blankets and started the machine. "If you're thinking about my ass then it's nothing too different."

"It's not polite."

"It wouldn't be polite if you went to touch it."

John held up his hands, "I'd never-"

"I don't worry about that." Anna assured him, leading the way back to the house where she left her hat and boots in the mudroom. "I was a boxing champion at my school."

"Really?"

"Boxing and shooting." Anna shrugged, "I had a lot of energy as a child."

"I thought you went to University on a riding scholarship."

"This was the secondary school I attended." Anna opened a few cupboards in the kitchen. "I was achingly shy as a child so my father taught me to box as a way to give me the confidence to know that no matter what I was strong enough."

"I can imagine you were a pretty small child."

"I was picked on all the time." Anna affirmed, putting something foodstuffs on the counter. "But when I landed a right hook that broke Edna Braithwaite's nose in second year…"

John laughed, "I'd imagine they paid you a lot more respect."

"I scared all the boys until University."

"Must've made your father happy."

Anna gave a sad smile. "He was very proud of me."

John bit at his lip, "I hope I didn't misstep by mentioning your father."

"No," Anna assured him, "It's nice to talk about him. He's been gone… almost twenty years."

"That's a long time to be without your Dad."

"When'd you lose yours?"

John ducked his head, "Did my mother tell you?"

"She talked about him a lot. Almost as much as she talked about you. But the way she talked about him…" Anna gave a rise with her shoulder, "You could tell she missed him because of a distance that's not solved by getting on a plane."

"He passed when I was young." John took a stool, "Really young."

"Do you remember him?"

"Not enough to have anything but dreams and nostalgia for him."

"Sometimes it's better that way." Anna started up the stovetop and worked her food in that direction. "You never had to watch your hero fall."

"I think we all should see that happen. They say the best thing to do is realize your parents are human."

"I wouldn't want to relive that moment." Anna shuddered, "I remember when I realized my mother wasn't perfect and it wrecked me."

"Can I ask what it was?"

Anna's back stiffened and John watched her shoulders rise and then fall. "She remarried."

"I'm sorry."

"I know," Anna turned leaning on the counter beside the stove, "It seems really petty and foolish but it wasn't like that. I didn't think it was because she forgot my dad but more like she could've and should've done a lot better."

"You didn't like your stepfather?"

"He was very charming at first but then he fell off the wagon and tossed his sobriety chip with a gusto I've seen rivaled by the most ambitious frat boys." Anna stirred the contents of the skillet and added something else before continuing. "He would get angry and throw things. He never laid a hand on my mother or my sister or I but you never knew."

"Is he still that way now?"

"According to the last conversation I had with my mother, he was on round three of trying again with AA." Anna shrugged, "I think my mother got nervous and went with the first option she had and it wasn't the best one."

"She couldn't live without your father?"

"She worked in a shop, which isn't a bad thing, but she never finished Uni and she didn't have marketable enough skills to be anything in a business above a temp so we struggled for money. My stepfather had a good job and he represented security."

"Sometimes I wonder if that's why I married my ex-wife."

"Security?"

"Nerves." John moved off the stool to search for dishes. "You get to thinking how you don't want to be alone and how you don't want to lose someone and that fear drives you to do some stupid things."

"I agree." Anna held the skillet in her hand, dishing it to a plate John held out. She met his eyes, "I hope you realize this is just for me."

John fumbled, "I-"

Anna grinned, "I'm just kidding. I never cook for less than three."

They took their places around the large island and John gestured to the food. "I feel so stupid for not even offering to help."

"That's fine." Anna waved him off, "It means you've got dishes."

"Then, Ms. Smith, you've got yourself a bargain." John turned to the plate, "What is this?"

"IHOP calls it the Colorado Omelet but since I mixed it up I just call it Barf."

"That's attractive."

"I spend a lot of time alone." Anna nodded, "Dig in because cold eggs are worse than cold beer."

"I would've thought moving here might've changed your perception on how you take your alcohol."

"Hell no." Anna put a forkful in her mouth. "This land may be in my soul but I'm still British and there are things you should never give up. Standards being one of those things."

"Or a lot of those things."

"What?"

John swallowed, "You said 'standards' plural so I assumed you had more than one."

"Not that many and one of those standards is the one I can run up a flag pole so the Union Jack can flap in the breeze."

"Rule Britannia."

"Indeed." Anna sighed, "What do you think of the place so far?"

"I can see why my mother would come here."

"And…"

John met Anna's eyes, "I'm not sold yet but you've got me on the ropes."

"Good." Her eyes twinkled, "That's a very good thing."

"I'm still having the other offer evaluated and they'll be here tomorrow but I promise to make a fair decision."

"I trust you." Anna took the dishes, "Like I trust you know how to wash dishes."

"Did enough KP in the Army."

"Get in trouble a lot?"

"I was very popular with the ladies."

"Wow," Anna cleaned up the food as John headed to the sink. "I didn't think you'd be bragging about that so soon."

"It's not bragging if you never give a number." John filled the sink, "Besides, it can't be jealousy I hear since I barely know you."

"It's not." Anna closed the refrigerator. "But I need to head off to sleep or I'll never get up tomorrow."

"Why's that?"

"Because otherwise I can't show you the sunrise here." Anna nodded at him, "Sleep well Mr. Bates."

"And you Ms. Smith." He watched her go and snorted to himself, "Don't play with fire John. You don't deserve it and you know it."

With that he turned back to the dishes in the sink.


	6. Cold Light of Morning

John moved through the quiet of the house as stealthily as he could, only knocking into one wall before he found the kitchen. The barest sliver of pink betrayed the intent of the sun to rise as he started up the machine for a brew of tea he then dug from a cupboard. The fragrance was not as strong as he preferred but the familiarity of the action was what he needed.

As the machine started whirring, the lights flicked on and John squinted. Anna, dressed to take on a hard day of manual labor, blinked at him and held up her hands. "I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize-"

"It's alright," John half-turned to face her, pointing to the machine. "Just needed a cup."

"It's early." Anna consulted her watch, "Far too early for you."

"I'm not much of a sleeper." John shrugged, "Insomnia doesn't end just because you tried to change time zones."

"I drop just about anywhere so I can't say I could do anything but sympathize." Anna reached for two mugs, holding one back. "I hope it's not an imposition."

"Seeing as I took the easy way out and just stuffed a few tea bags in a coffee machine, I think I could manage to let it slide."

"Does this even work?" Anna handed her mug to John and he switched between his and hers so smoothly not a drop splattered on the counter. "Call me 'old fashioned' but I always went for the kettle on the stove."

"As a man who spends over eighty hours a week in an office and traveled to more than a few grungy hotels, I can say I figured out all the little travel hacks and office loopholes known to the best online bloggers."

"I'm not into blogs. Too much of people crying about their lives or capitalism while using free Starbucks wifi." Anna took her mug and sniffed it, "I think you found the tourist brew."

"The what?"

"I hide the good stuff for the quality people since you never know who might be coming into the kitchen." Anna waved a hand at the room before sipping her drink. "I don't want to waste the imported stuff on them."

"And what, exactly, is the good stuff."

"I've got some really good tea from India. It's strong and gives you about a twelve-hour kick but I like the herbs. There's a few from China but they're not really tea… by our definition anyway. And then there's the classic Yorkshire brews."

"Taste of home?"

Anna grinned, "We all need it."

"I don't need a taste of home unless I want to toss away my chip."

"You've got a chip?"

John nodded, "Let's just say the final years of my marriage were… rocky. Part of that meant that I succumbed to some of those darker demons of your nature."

"Not anymore."

"There's always the risk they're waiting for you at a bar."

Anna frowned, "Your mother's wake was at a pub."

"It was Ireland."

"And you didn't drink." Anna finished her mug, "Though I wonder what's got you up so early."

"I told you, insomnia."

"I don't know," Anna pursed her lips, "Something about this is decidedly… less insomniatic."

"Really?"

"Really." Anna paused, "I'm sure you're not the only one to suffer nightmares."

John swallowed too much of his tea and coughed to stop from choking. "Sorry?"

"Perhaps it's not my place to say, and you're welcome to stop me at any time and tell me where I can shove it, but I think you're up this early in the morning because you've got some terrible nightmares."

"Did you hear?"

Anna nodded, "I was up and I heard the yelling."

"Sorry to've disturbed you."

"It's not disturbing." Anna ran her finger along the edge of the island, "It might seem odd to you but there's quite a few people who use this place for therapy. People who need to go out into the wilderness to scream at the air and find the solace they can't get anywhere else."

"Does it work?"

She shrugged, "Some say it does."

"But you don't?"

"I know that I've heard more than a few people cry themselves to sleep and just as many scare themselves awake."

"I've been both of those people." John waited for Anna to say something else before he spoke, "I used to bury it with drink and some rather… poisonous relations with my ex-wife."

"Did it drive her away?"

"It didn't help what was already built on shoddy foundations." John put his empty mug in the sink. "Maybe that's why my mother wanted me to come here. Hoped it could solve all my problems."

"It doesn't work quite that way." Anna sighed, "I'm not a therapist. Or anything that required more time in Uni than I spent there. I just work with horses and manage this place."

"Like a tattoo artist manages their shop?"

Anna frowned, "I don't understand the connection."

"Think about it." John held his hands open, "People get tattoos to commemorate big events or help them handle trauma. Births, deaths, surviving suicide, celebrating a relationship, etc. If you're the one marking bodies with permanent symbols of those moments, reminders of those choices, isn't that a bit therapeutic?"

"You're saying I do that?"

"You trained the horses, you keep the grounds maintained, and you're invested in helping people." John folded his arms over his chest, "I'd say that's about as good a therapy as any my business partners paid for and at half the price they did… most of the time."

"I'm definitely not as cheap as a bottle of Jack."

"But you're less expensive than alcoholism, prostitution, or retail therapy."

"I'm impressed you know what that is."

"My wife was a very big believer in that avenue of therapy." John shook his head, "I used to make a game out of guessing how much she could spend after a fight."

"I'm not going to comment on that since I've had my own retail therapy." Anna dipped her head to peek out the window. "Since you're up anyway, want to come and see the sunrise?"

"I did think that was the invitation last night."

Anna smiled, "It was."

"Then I'll just get changed."

"I'll have Jane ready for you to saddle." Anna headed toward the mudroom and Jon risked a look to watch her before he hurried up the stairs to change.

He hurried to tuck the tails of his shirt into his trousers, shivering when he hit the morning air. The jacket in his hands quickly went over his shoulders and his haste stuffed his arm in one of the sleeves enough to knock it against the door to the stable but he recovered before Anna could notice. She nodded at him from where she arranged the blanket over Layl's back.

"Jane's ready for you."

"In another context, that might sound bad." John shook out his hand, grimacing behind Jane's bulk, and grabbed one of the blankets.

"If I owned a whorehouse, yes." Anna slapped her saddle on Layl's back and grabbed for the strap as her knee hit hard in Layl's stomach. "But since I own horses I think the symbolism to that… gets a little more illegal if you take the same insinuation."

"I think I'll drop that line of thought." John finished situating the blanket and took the saddle, following Anna's actions. "What was that you just did?"

"Putting my knee in his stomach?" Anna tightened the last strap before reaching over to grab Layl's bridle. "He likes to take a deep breath to puff out his stomach. If you don't know it then you'll tighten the straps to his puffed stomach so, as you ride, your saddle loosens and you risk falling off."

"So you drive your knee into his stomach?"

"Makes his stomach collapse so I can tighten the strap more." Anna laughed a bit as John's jaw dropped. "It's like putting a heart monitor around your chest, not like wrapping someone with a boa constrictor."

"I'm just…"

"I know how you feel." Anna ducked under Jane's neck, patting her as she did, to face John. "They're animals but they're also incredibly intelligent. This isn't like beating someone in the stomach or driving your fist into someone's gut. It's like your trainer patting your stomach to straighten you during a pushup."

"I'm still not sure about it."

"She's tough. I promise, you won't hurt her." Anna handed the bridle to John. "We're dealing with animals who weigh as much as a car. It'll take a bit more to actually hurt them because we're almost insignificant to them. It's why we can ride on their backs."

"I thought that was because we domesticated them."

"I've got the feeling it's only because they think we're cute." Anna walked back over to Layl. "The way an elephant looks at us."

"What?"

Anna pulled at Layl's bridle, "Haven't you heard? Elephants look at us the way we look at dogs. They think we're cute."

"You know," John situated the bridle in Jane's mouth and worked it over her head. "I think I like that idea. It's a little disturbing… like being something else's dog, but I can handle it."

"We all spend our time at the bottom of the food chain." Anna led them out and John noted the lightening color on the horizon. "We better hurry. I hope you're not too sore to try a canter."

"If it means I won't miss the sunrise then I think my ass can take it."

Anna paused, "At the risk of casting aspersions on your interests, you're not homosexual are you?"

"The only men I find attractive are those the world finds attractive and so it's more like envy than lust." John mounted Jane, a little better and a little worse than the day before as he knew the mechanics but his muscles complained all the same. "I don't know though. Does thinking Chris Hemsworth is a god on earth make you gay?"

"No." Anna mounted as well, holding her reins tightly to guide Layl. "I just needed to confirm your wife hadn't driven you away from women."

"Away from her." John narrowed his eyes, "Why'd you ask?"

"I just wondered if you'd ever had anything serious going on with your ass." Anna smiled, "It sounds a bit like experience talking."

"Not that kind of experience." John followed her, "My mother did prefer a switch when I was younger and once wacked me until I was red."

"What for?"

"She found out I skipped school to lose my virginity to an older student." John shuddered, "Not my proudest moment."

Anna snorted her laugh, "I'm almost afraid to ask which part."

"Both. I…" John shook his head, "You don't want to know this."

"I'll tell you I lost mine my last year of secondary school with a second-stringer from the football team who… didn't quite make it in time, if you know what I mean."

"From horrible experience, yes."

Anna pulled Layl short to meet John's eyes, "Your first?"

"Luckily enough, no. I actually hit the target that time. I wasn't any good at it but I managed to get that part right." John shook his head, "No, it was more that I didn't know where to put my hands or how to kiss correctly or anything about erogenous zones. I was all thumbs and awkward and we never spoke again."

"Some would say you'd have been a lot better prepared if you'd had more porn to watch as a child."

John shook his head, "I disagree."

"So do I." Anna let out a breath, "All porn does is poison people to the idea of sexual gratification without romance or consequences or even consent. It's not exactly my thing."

"Nor mine." John tipped his head to the side, "Though I never say no to an episode of _Game of Thrones_."

"Porn meets _Dungeons and Dragons_ meets _House of Cards_?"

"Something like that."

They reached the top of the rise and Anna guided them further up the trail. Eventually, due to the growing light, they stopped and simply enjoyed the view from their position. Anna clicked her teeth and dropped to the ground, resting her arms on her knees. John, moving a bit more gingerly, joined her.

"I get the feeling you're a bit disappointed."

"It's…" Anna flailed a hand. "I've been coming up here since I started working at this place and I can't seem to time it right unless I camp the night before and I hate camping."

John tried to stifle his laugh, "What?"

"I know." Anna shook her head, "Attempt to understand it, if you can, how someone who enjoys the outdoors and horses and everything associated with the ranch life hates camping but I just can't stand the idea of having to wake up with the same taste in my mouth that was there when I went to sleep."

"It's not about the rocky ground or the uncomfortable tree root in the back or the fact you smell like the woods in a bad way?"

"I smell like horses all the time and while they're lovely, they usually have this slight reek of shit so I'm used to that." Anna removed her hat and lifted the edge of her braid. "And my hair's not going to look any better."

"I think it could."

"Oh?" Anna replaced her hat, "Are you imagining me in a gold dress, coming down some stairs as you wait at the bottom in a tuxedo to whisk me away to a holiday party?"

"Considering we're not in a period piece, no." John sucked the inside of his cheek, "Though there was this one movie…"

Anna shoved at him, "Be serious."

"I don't imagine you in gold." John focused forward, pulling at the fingers of one hand with the other. "I'd think of you wearing a nice cerulean dress to match your eyes."

When he finally trusted himself enough to look up, John noticed the intensity to Anna's stare. "What?"

"In all the years, through all the failed dates, I've never had a man who could tell me what color my eyes were."

"I got myself lost in them a bit when we first met." John pivoted on the ground a bit to better look at her. "I couldn't really take my eyes off you in general but that's where I was looking to try and focus."

"Did it work?"

"Not at all." John stopped himself leaning forward, "I'm sorry. You've got to think I'm pretty forward to be talking about losing myself in your eyes this soon into getting to know you."

"Only about as forward as me saying that I feel I already know you, Mr. Bates." Anna played with her fingers now. "To you we only met yesterday morning but I feel like I've known you for a lot longer."

"How's that?"

"Your mother." Anna dropped her fingers, as if looking for something else to do with them, and then just clasped them tightly. "She told me all about you and I… like those teen girls addicted to disgusting romance novels, found myself falling for you when we'd never even met."

John did not immediately respond. When he did, it was with a twinge of a smile. "I guess the benefit, for you, is that the object of your affection is actually a real person."

"Yes he is." Anna finally met his eyes, "More real than anyone I've ever met before."

"Real enough to bear the scars of wear and tear."

"I don't trust products right out of their package. They've not been proven yet." Anna risked a hand to his knee, but only for a moment. "I trust the knights in battered and dented armor because they've been tested."

"You only think that because my mother only told you nice stories about me."

"No," Anna shook her head.

John frowned, "To which part?"

"Both." She slid in the dirt, scraping her jeans against the ground in a rasping drag. "'No' because her stories weren't all good. And 'no' because it's not got much to do with what your mother said."

"Then what's it to do with?"

"What I saw at that wake." Anna dropped his gaze a moment, "A man devoid of substance couldn't do what you did."

John took a deep breath, "I think you're under the delusion, Ms. Smith, that I'm a man of substance."

"And I think you're under the delusion, Mr. Bates, that you're not." Anna stood, dusting at her ass to get excess dirt to fall to the ground. "We'd best get back, before your appraiser gets here."

John stood as well, following Anna back to the house. They remained silent through the ride and when they removed the horse's tack. Their hands met briefly when they passed the brush over the stall walls but neither really spoke more than the bare minimum to interact.

As John went to leave the stable Anna called out to him. "I wish you could see yourself the way I do, Mr. Bates."

"How's that, in the cold light of day?"

"With great respect." Anna waved to the stables around them. "You came all this way to settle a promise to your mother. You avoided violence with a violent person. You battle your demons with all the strength you can. There's nothing to be had for you if respect's not the foundation of it all."

"Then you're seeing what you want to see."

"Oh?" Anna opened her hands, "Do you want me to focus on the broken side of you? Want me to zoom in to see the little bits of you that are chipped or scuffed or marred? Is that where your eyes go?"

"Don't all eyes go there?"

"Unless trained otherwise, yes." Anna took a breath, "The thing your mother always loved about you was that life never held you down for long. You were a man drive to do the right thing, no matter what."

"She's very kind."

"Maggie Bates was a great many things but she wasn't one to toss away a compliment, even for her son."

"You only knew her as your friend."

"And you only knew her as your mother. Just as you only know yourself as a failure." Anna shook her head, "You're not that, Mr. Bates. Whatever you are, it's not that."

John hung his head, "What could make you so sure?"

Anna was close enough to grab his hand by the time he raised his head to see her face. "Because no one's that simply drawn unless they're a cartoon villain."

They stood close, Anna's hand still rubbing over John's, until the blaring ring of the stable phone jolted them both back to reality. Anna turned to it, hurrying to tuck it between her ear and shoulder as she opened the protected binder on a lectern-style podium. John flexed the hand she held just a minute before, wishing he could keep the heat there, and risked a look at her before turning back toward the house.


	7. Another Man's Treasure

John pulled at his tie, noting Anna's eyebrow raise from where she leaned against the wall with her arms folded, and then turned back to the too-shiny car spinning up dust on the gravel drive. It parked next to his and the equally shiny shoes exited the car before a man in a tailored suit exited with an attaché case. He sniffed and then turned toward the house before plastering one of the largest smiles John had ever seen over his face.

"Mr. Bates," He extended his hand and John shook it, noting the firm grip that threatened to crush the small bones in his hand. "I'm Mr. Barrow. I believe Mr. Green told you to expect me."

"He informed me he had an appraiser." John extricated his hand, waving back at Anna before massaging it as nonchalantly as he could manage. "I'm sure you know Ms. Smith, my manager."

"We've met." Mr. Barrow took the stairs, holding out his hand to Anna. "How've you been Ms. Smith?"

"Well enough." She did not take his hand, opting to open the door instead, "Would you like to come in, Thomas?"

"Don't mind if I do." He stepped inside and as John went to follow Anna grabbed his arm.

"He's going to try and take you for all you're worth. Don't let him."

"That's why you're here." John nodded inside, "The land's partially yours and your opinion weighs heavily on this decision."

Anna's eyes widened but she followed Mr. Barrow inside and eventually led the trio to the study where the raised map of the land and pointer were waiting. Mr. Barrow laughed, pointing to it.

"Is this what you show the children?"

"It's comprehensive and'll have to do since you're obviously not dressed for an actual tour." Anna managed, working a tight smile onto her face as she turned to John. "Unless you've objections to the venue, Mr. Bates."

"I think Ms. Smith's right about your wear, Mr. Barrow, and we'll have to deal with what's available given the circumstances."

"Right," Barrow nodded, eyeing Anna, and then facing John as if she was not there. "This is a professional conversation, between businessmen, and I believe Ms. Smith might be a bit out of her element here."

"That's where you're wrong, Mr. Barrow. This is Ms. Smith's element and I need her here in an advisory capacity since I'm new to all of this."

"Oh," John tried not to react to the twinkle in Barrow's eye. "What is it you do, Mr. Bates? Other than run this ranch, obviously."

"I own a management firm. We invest and diversify to a few different companies but the largest we own is a publishing firm."

"Have you published anything I've heard of?"

"Did you happen to read the _ALICE_ trilogy or _Morgan_?"

"Can't say I did."

"Well," John shrugged, "I guess you can get the movies when the films get released next year."

"Impressive." Barrow nodded, "But I guess the land in front of us is what we're here to appraise."

"I'm still curious how you intend to appraise the property dressed like you're about to step into a completely different kind of meeting." Anna crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you really appraise the land you haven't seen for yourself?"

"But I have seen it, Ms. Smith." Barrow opened his attaché case and pulled out a stack of satellite photos. John pulled them closer as Barrow explained. "We used a drone and some of our people taking the stock of the edge of your property."

"With permission from the owners of the adjacent properties I'm sure." Anna suggested, taking a few of the photos for herself, going through them with her eyes darting all over the images as if she could read them like a bank statement. "These are only two days old."

"We've been investigating the property for some time, as you well know Ms. Smith, and Mr. Green doesn't make an offer on a property he's never seen."

"Because Mrs. Bates wouldn't let his scrawny ass within ten feet of her drive with his pittance of an offer." Anna tossed the photos back on the model of the property. "I'm sure you're here to try and convince Mr. Bates the offer was a good one."

"It was more than she paid for the property."

"You've not accounted for tall the work she put into revamping this place." Anna gestured to the lodge around them. "This place alone would make your offer laughable at best, an insult at worst."

"That's not up to you." Barrow sneered at her, turning to John as he finished his pile of photos and replaced them. "Mr. Green would like to offer-"

"What about the hot springs?" John clapped his hands together and Barrow faltered.

"I'm sorry, that what?"

"The hot springs." John waited, "They were the last property Mr. Green purchased. What happened to them?"

"We're still working on that investment. Mr. Green's been developing the surrounding area and-"

"How does he define 'development', Mr. Barrow?" John waited but Barrow could only flounder for words. "You see, Mr. Barrow, I may not know much about the business of running this ranch but I do know business. I know acquisitions and I know that Mr. Green has been plying my mother's solicitor for quite some time to see if he could convince her to sell up. Now, I'm sure Mr. Green thought that prudence and pragmatic behavior would rule out and I'd sell this land without a second thought but I'm a business man and that's not what you do to an investment."

John walked over to the desk, pulling out a few spreadsheets. "These tell me that if I keep Greener Pastures as it is, trusting to the care and direction of Ms. Smith here, I'll make more than double what the cost of running it is. Now I would've been satisfied to break even with a place like this but those numbers are tempting." Setting the pages down he turned to Barrow, "Can Mr. Green offer me more than double the yearly earnings on this place as his offer?"

"I couldn't say."

John frowned, "Then what kind of offer are you-?"

"As Mr. Green's appraiser I'm only here to tell you how I could price out cost of this property, nothing more." Barrow pointed to the photographs. "From what I've seen of those, Mr. Bates, I don't think your Ms. Smith is being entirely honest with you."

"Really? And why would she lie?"

'Job security is hard to find when you've not got many skills." Barrow smiled in a grimace and John swallowed hard.

"I'm sure you think something of yourself, Mr. Barrow, in your suit but I'm not selling this place to a man who'll raze it to the ground to build a ski resort or a summer retreat for the rich and spoiled." John gathered the photographs. "And I'll not stand to have you insult my manager like that."

"Mr. Bates, I think you misunderstand me when I said-"

"The only misunderstanding here, Mr. Barrow, is that Mr. Green's offer is being entertained." John handed the photos back. "I hope you enjoy your drive back to town. Thank Mr. Green for his interest but tell him we're not interested in selling."

Barrow took the photographs back, mouth moving as if stunned by their presence in his hands. His mouth gaped like a fish struggling for air for a moment before he found the words he wanted. "Mr. Bates, I think you're rushing into a decision without realizing the facts or the ramifications of your choice."

"And I think you would've impressed me more if you'd shown up dressed to actually appraise this property." John opened the door, "Allow me to show you out."

John waited until Barrow gathered all of his things and huffed his way out of the house. He reached his car, pointing a finger back at John. "I can promise you, Mr. Bates, you won't get an offer like this one again."

"I can only hope the next offer isn't nearly as insulting to my wallet or my intelligence." John waved a hand, "It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Barrow. Please give my best to Mr. Green."

Barrow stuffed himself into his car and spit gravel as he peeled out of the drive to leave in a cloud of dust. John waved it away, shaking his head, and pivoted to see Anna at the top of the stairs. They stared at one another as Anna descended the stairs so they stood equal with one another.

"Thank you."

"I didn't really-"

"But you did, Mr. Bates." Anna reached out a hand, retracting it a moment but John caught it, holding tightly to it.

He looked down at her hand, "I couldn't bear to hear him insult you. Not after the way you talked about this place."

"And I heard how you talked about this place." Anna smiled, slipping her fingers through his. "It's the same passion your mother used to use when she talked about it."

"I can't imagine a better compliment than that."

"Then you underestimate yourself, Mr. Bates." Anna took a breath, "When I said I feel like I've known you for a long time, it wasn't just because of what I'd heard."

"So not because of my mother?"

"Not entirely," Anna let their hands drop. "It's more than words could really say."

"Is it?" John whispered, the sounds of the land around them seeming to deaden until all he could hear was her voice and the beat of his heart in his chest.

She reached up a hand to help a lock of hair leave his forehead. "Yes and it's surprising since your mother often had a lot to say and words don't often fail me."

"Words don't fail you?"

"Not often." Anna's face set and she searched his. "Everything she told me about you was honest and I knew that's why you'd like this place."

"Really?"

"Really." Anna motioned toward the dissipating cloud of dust. "What you told Mr. Barrow just confirmed it."

"Because I sent him away?"

"Because you knew he didn't care about this place. For all the talk about understanding a business model or being a businessman you've got to understand more than that. It's got to be deeper and you saw how much he didn't care." Anna stopped herself, "And I saw how much you cared."

"Not as much as you."

"It didn't have to be as much as me. It just had to be enough." Anna looked toward the barn, "I've got to finish some things and I think you've got a call to your solicitor to worry about."

"I do." John forced himself away. "I've just… I have some business I've got to handle."

"If you need anything, pick up a phone and call." Anna winked at him and walked toward the stables.

John returned to his rooms, pulling his laptop and phone close. But he could barely manage any work. The emails all jumbled and he could not string a coherent thought together long enough to actually find what he wanted to say. And when he tried to read through reports or other emails they fuzzed and blurred before his eyes.

Pushing back from his desk, John rubbed at his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he brought his head up he blinked. The darkness outside seemed to permeate his room but when John stood he noticed the light on his computer charger was out. He managed his way around the bed and tried to flip the switch but it only clicked uselessly.

John worked back to the desk, closing his laptop and grabbing his phone before activating the flashlight mode. Guiding himself through the room and then the house, John tramped toward the stables where he saw a light moving around the upper levels. He grabbed the sides of the ladder and ascended to the attic space there.

Anna turned, almost blinding him with the torch in her hands, and John raised his own to try and diffuse the light. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." John blinked past the lights sparking in his vision as Anna lowered the industrial torch. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Anna shrugged, "I think the city's doing work with a transformer down by the road."

"Did they warn you or-"

"I saw them when I was doing some work down there." Anna shrugged, "It's happened before but last time it was -"

The dark sky cracked and then a crash of thunder alerted them to the sudden downpour that pelted the roof. Anna sighed, her shoulders dropping. "That's going to turn those trails to mud."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault unless you're Zeus." Anna grabbed something else and handed it to John. It'll work better than that impotent little light."

"I don't think that's something I've ever been called before." John turned off the light and tucked his phone away before taking the large torch Anna handed him. Their fingers met and John stopped, meeting Anna's eyes in the strangely white glow of her light. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"It's just a little dark, Mr. Bates." She did not stop staring at him. "I'm sure you're not scared of the dark."

"Terrified of it."

"Really?" Her breath caught as John stepped closer to her, his fingers tentative but determined as they brushed the loose strands of hair back from her face. "Seems odd."

"Because I'm a big strong man?"

"No," She whispered as John lowered his head toward hers. "Because you're the kind of person that says they are the storm."

"Only sometimes." His hand held along the perfect line of her jaw, running his thumb along her cheekbone to feel the slight shudder there. "Other times I hide."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not the person I need to be to face it. Not yet."

"When will you be that person?"

"When I take the courage I need to kiss you for the first time."

"Please." Anna's torch dropped to the floor and her hands came to the back of his neck to pull him closer to her so their lips could finally meet.

The sensation of her lips on his was almost more than John could handle. He stumbled slightly backward, hand flailing until he found a chair. They landed hard but Anna only used the chance to straddle his legs and push herself up to kiss him from her superior position.

John reveled in the feel of her mouth against him, nipping and licking along her lips until he could sneak his tongue between her teeth. She used her hands on his face as leverage as she sucked at his tongue and then tangled it with her own. He put his other hand on her hip and then broke the kiss for a moment.

"What?" Anna struggled for breath and, even in the odd lighting from the dropped torches, John could see the flush to her cheeks and the dilation of her pupils. "What's wrong?"

"I just want to make sure this is what you want."

"I wouldn't be sitting on your lap if I didn't." Anna grinned at him, sliding her fingers over the skin of his face. "I promise you, Mr. Bates, this is something I very much want."

"Because you've already known me for a long time?"

"Partly." Anna lowered her mouth so her next words brushed against his lips. "Mostly because you came all the way up here to see if I was alright with that shitty little flashlight."

"That did it for you?"

"Your kissing doesn't hurt either." Anna ran her lips over his cheek and toward his ear, "May we continue?"

"I think we should." John shifted to bring their mouths together again.

His hand moved toward her hair, brushing down the secure plait to trail over her back. He heard the chair squeak and gripped at her ass to keep her steady. Anna just moaned at the motion and tightened her knees near his hips to hold tighter to him. It forced her closer to where John rose to the occasion and he groaned into her mouth.

Anna grinned against his lips, breaking from the kiss to leave a dotting of quick pecks over his face as John dug his fingers into her ass. Their jeans scraped against one another and John huffed as he tried to bring her closer to him. They moved together and John tipped the chair slightly to try and get leverage.

She ground down on him and John moved his hand from her hip toward her breasts. He hesitated for only a moment until Anna grabbed his wrist and placed his hand where she wanted. John surprised himself with a growl as his fingers massaged the delicate offering through her shirt and the bra there but his lips took their own matching journey over her availably exposed skin to listen to her moans.

They went to move further when three things happened very quickly. The first was a crack of lightning that illuminated the whole building. The second was the lights coming back on as a rumble of thunder sounded so close it drown out everything else. The third was the chair slipping and dumping the two of them backward so Anna landed on John's chest as his back hit the floor almost hard enough to drive the air from his lungs.

Staring up at Anna, John started to laugh. She joined him, putting her forehead on his chest and they rocked and laughed together. Anna eased herself away, giving John a hand before picking up her torch and flipping the switch on it.

"I do hope another strike doesn't ruin the noble efforts of our electricians." Anna picked up the other torch and handed it over to John. "Just in case."

"I was hoping…" John maneuvered it, "I don't know."

"What?"

"I was kind of hoping we could stay like that a bit longer."

"Believe me, I'd like nothing more." Anna kissed his cheek, "But there's a few more things I've got to do now that the rain's set in."

"I could help you."

"Would you? It always goes faster with two."

John followed her about, despite the heavy rain, and they managed to get the rest of the chores completed. But the muddy pastures and ground left their mark over them and John spit mud to the side as they hung up the last of the tools. "I think I need a shower."

"Not to offend or risk stepping out of place," Anna pointed to herself and then John, "But we're not stepping in that house looking as we do."

"The showers are inside."

"I've got a couple camp showers for just this reason." Anna motioned for him to follow to a set of stairs walking up to a balcony on the side of the barn. There a row of spigots hung above a large tub.

John pointed through the boards at it. "What's that?"

"I use it for the irrigation water and the sprinklers." Anna kicked off her boots and undid the buttons on her shirt as John just stared, rain drizzling off now. "What?"

"We're showering out here… together?"

"I can shut my eyes if you get nervous." Anna laughed, flinging her shirt to the side before starting on her trousers so all John could focus on was the bra and her exposed torso. "Come on. You're not going into that house muddy as you are."

"Right." John swallowed and kicked his borrowed Wellingtons to the side and fumbled with his shirt.

Her fingers slid over his and John let his hang uselessly at his side as Anna pulled each button loose. Rain tracked a path through her hair, down her face, and dripped onto her almost entirely exposed body. John swallowed hard as she opened his shirt and then pulled each of his arms toward her to let the cuffs loose.

The wet shirt dropped to the boards in a sodden heap as Anna let her fingers trace around his abdomen just above his belt. She looked up at him, squinting against the rain. "Do you still need help?"

"Yes." John breathed and Anna smiled as she pulled his belt loose and snaked it back through the loops. The metal buckle clattered off the side of the barn and Anna skirted just under the edge of his jeans, listening to the hitch in his voice. She pried the button on his jeans loose and worked the zipper down a bit before sneaking a swipe at his erection.

John stuttered, throwing a hand to the side to catch himself, and caught Anna's grin. In that moment he found his primal instinct and grabbed both of her wrists. He hauled Anna up, turning them just enough to put her back to the shower wall, and seized control of her mouth. Her legs wrapped around his hips and she ground against him as John ravaged her mouth with all the finesse of a drowning man gasping for air.

Anna's hands clung at his arms and this shoulders before gripping at his hair. It tugged and set all of John's nerves on fire. He responded by slanting his mouth over hers with more force and moving a hand to her breast. She shifted on him, rolling her hips into his helpless thrusts, and arched her back to offer more to him.

He left her lips, turning his attentions to her throat and then up to her ear. Nipping there, licking a trail back to her jaw, and increasing his savage caresses of her breasts had Anna moaning to the rain. One of her hands left the confident clutch of his hair to work down and tried to fight John's jeans and boxers lower.

With a bit of shimmying he did not want to think about for too long, John managed to get them out of the way and pulled Anna's legs open. Her knickers still blocked him but he thrust forward all the same, sliding against the material and using it to excite her nerves, and Anna forced his head up to return attention to her mouth. They moved on one another, using their clothing as weapons and toys to drive both to distraction until John broke the kiss.

"Protection?" He managed, gritting his teeth.

"Yes. Clean?"

"Yes." John set a series of burning and sucking kisses down to Anna's pulse and then back to her lips. "May I?"

"Please."

John gave her breasts one last squeeze as he held Anna's thigh hard enough to bruise, and used his other hand to pull her knickers to one side. The second it took him to align them was agony but then John drove forward and both of them stopped breathing. He rested his head on her shoulder as he tried to fill his lungs to even half capacity and shifted slowly against her to seat himself as fully inside her as he could manage. When he reached that point John stopped.

Tipping her head back with a gentle hand, John looked Anna in the eyes and waited. She nodded and then he pulled to the very edge before driving back where she waited. Anna's head knocked against the boards and she let out a whimpering moan that sounded like his name. John adjusted and drove in again, maneuvering his hips just enough to strike where the material of her knickers added a scraping rub against her nerves.

Her fingernails dug into his skin, even for as short as they were, and John moved with the level of scoring to his flesh. Each deep drive set a sound from the back of Anna's throat he could not replicate if he tried and his faster, shallower strokes had her writhing against him or pressing their foreheads together as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Her own fingers snaked between them and John grunted when her efforts to use her knickers to bring herself over the edge dragged the material over his skin.

Anna found another grip at his ass, spreading her legs wide enough to wrap over his waist and then dragging him to her. She set her shoulders back enough to leave John striking right at her clit and within minutes she tumbled over the edge. John reseated himself, using his renewed grip to fight the burn in his arms, and rutted against her until he came.

They slumped a bit, rain slickening the floor and their own lack of energy stopping both their hearts for a moment, but John waited until Anna moved a leg to set her on the floor. Unwrapping from one another, John motioned to the shower and then to himself. "Is it worth it at this point?"

"Just a rinse." Anna put her hand to the wall and turned the spigot to drench herself- knickers, bra, and all- before stepping back.

John shucked his jeans and pulled his boxers back in place to take a dip through the frigid water. Anna shut it off and gathered their wet clothes in her hands before getting her feet back into the Wellingtons. He laughed, getting his own things and pointing at her.

"You're going to dash back to the lodge dressed like that?"

Anna surveyed herself, in her underwear and the boots, and then shrugged. "It's better than sprinting back naked, which I have done."

"Why?"

"Fire ants." Anna jerked her head, "Come on, before you freeze out here."

They got back to the house, leaving the boots in the mudroom, and carrying their dirty clothes to the wash. There Anna dropped hers in the machine and stepped to the side for John to the do the same with his. He hesitated, dropping the ones in his hand and then reaching for his boxers. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Anna make a thing of covering her eyes to preserve his modesty.

John laughed, leaving them in the machine, and then drew her hands away from her eyes. "If you want to look then I won't say no."

"Fair is fair." Anna put her hands behind her back and unclipped her bra to drop it into the machine. John's mouth went dry and he thought the heat in his cheeks would be the last of the blood left near his brain. When Anna worked her knickers off and dropped them into the machine John's brain short-circuited.

"Anna?" He cleared his throat, the first attempt at speech no more than a hoarse whisper. "Anna?"

"Hm?"

"Can I… Can I take you to my room?"

"Why?" Anna grabbed a nearby towel, wrapping it over herself and then taking another to her damp hair.

"Because you deserve a bed. You deserve for someone to make you melt on a bed instead of just taking you against a wall like a horny teenager."

"Then I should say your teenage years were different than mine because none of the men I knew as teenagers could even lift me to a wall much less bring me to orgasm there."

"That's…" John held her wrist, taking the towel she offered with his other hand. "That's not what I meant."

"I know." Anna finished drying her hair and left the towel to hang dry on a rack there. "And I think I'd like to take you up on your offer."

"I've even got… other protection."

"My pill's pretty effective." Anna shrugged, "But it's your choice and I respect if you want to make extra sure you don't end up an unintended father."

"If I end up a father it'll be intended." John wrapped the towel around his waist. "Not that I ever had the chance but-"

"I'm sure a man like you'll get the chance." Anna took his hand, squeezing his fingers in hers. "Just not now and probably not with me."

"Probably not." John paused, Anna's hand leaving his and he blinked as she walked out of the room. "Wait, why not?"

"Well," Anna stopped in the hall, adjusting the towel wrapped over her. "Firstly you live in Ireland and I live here. Second, we barely know each other. Third… it's a little odd to impregnate the help in this generation."

"It's not like it'd be without your consent." John stopped himself, "I'm sorry… this conversations' gone round the bend and I'm…"

"I'm flattered, Mr. Bates, I really am." Anna came over to him, running a hand over his cheek, "But I think we should just have the fun we're planning on having right now and let the future be what it is."

"Yes," john nodded, "That's a great idea."

"Good." Anna tugged on his hand, "I believe you promised me a bed."

They worked their way up to his room, exchanging kisses on the way, and John even managed to catch her off guard with a lift of her towel to run a hand up her leg. She stopped and John ran a finger along her folds before Anna rested back against his chest. He shifted against her, pushing the material of her towel up more so she could feel his arousal against her ass. Anna just pushed back against it and forced John to get them both into his room.

She giggled at him until he trapped her in his arms to kiss over her. Her hand splayed at his chest and the other held his cheek to keep them close as John slipped his towel loose to fling over a chair on the other side of the room. With steady steps he maneuvered Anna close the bed and tugged her towel loose to drop onto the floor.

John pulled away from the kiss and leaned Anna back so her feet were still on the floor but the rest of her spread out on the bed. He lowered himself over her, running his hands through her drying hair to spread it around her head before their lips met again. Anna held to him, bringing a leg up to his hip as John glided over her. But instead of positioning himself, John broke the kiss to work lower over Anna's body.

He started at her neck, leaving no patch of skin unkissed or unlicked, and then took time to stroke and kiss over each of her shoulders. His hands skimmed her body, running up each appendage and massaging where she tensed or tickled where she tried to move away. All the while he continued moving lower with his mouth until he stopped at her breasts.

Each received the attentions of his mouth and his hands. Kneading the skin there, kissing over it, nipping to leave red marks, and then sucking at her skin before taking each nipple into his mouth. Anna writhed under him, her fingers finding their familiar positions in his hair or at his shoulders. Her feet traced up his thighs and tried to drag him closer but John ignored those as he relished in the dig of her fingers in his sides.

His kisses continued to her stomach, her hips and then to the crux of her thighs. He spread her legs carefully, hands stroking and soothing over her thighs and calves before taking both feet into a temporary massage that relaxed Anna with an audible sigh. And when she relaxed into the blankets, he kissed at her clit.

She tried to buck off the bed but John sucked the nerves into his mouth and swirled his fingers over the skin at the inside of her thighs to spread her folds. He licked over them, sucking and caressing them with all the care of a starving man. Swift movements interchanged with slower motions left Anna crying out and writhing on the bed until John risked his tongue lower.

The shriek filled his ears and echoed off the walls. John smiled, continuing his assault between thumb and fingers until he sank two fingers into her and returned to her delicate nerves. Nerves he sucked and rubbed until Anna came crying his name. He massaged her down from her high and kissed back up her body.

Even with as limp as she was, Anna managed to pull his mouth to hers and took control of his tongue. John set his knees on either side of her hips and Anna, keeping one hand at the back of his neck to continue their kiss, slid up the bed to give them more room. Once settled, she spread her legs and let the kiss break.

"Please don't stop."

John positioned himself between her legs, lifting one to his hip, and drove forward. Anna shut her eyes, pressing her head hard enough into the pillow to arch her neck, and John sank deeper when she raised her hips in the same motion. He groaned and moved.

Every strike, with as sensitive as she was, tightened her like a bow string until all Anna could do was gasp out unintelligible words. John buried his head near her shoulder, flexing his hips with each rock of hers, and trying to drive as deeply as he could. Subtle adjustments had him striking where she needed him, both inside and out, and soon Anna let out her finish again. John followed the cue and sped up until his frenetic pace ended in a burst of effort.

He caught himself on one hand and then rolled to the side. His side hit the bed and he rolled to stare up at the ceiling as his chest expanded to try and get air. Fingers intertwined with his and John turned enough to see Anna leaning over slightly so she could stare at him in the darkness of the room.

"I'd really enjoy if we ever get a chance to do that again."

"I think I'll need a bit." John took another deep breath and then jumped as Anna's fingers teased over his abdomen and then circled lower.

"I don't think you'll need that long."


	8. Cry of the Wolf

John adjusted as Anna straddled his legs. She shrugged, "Turnabout is fair play… I think that's a saying."

"It's not a direct repayment." John tried to move but he was helpless as Anna played over him, slowly bringing him back to life faster than he thought humanly possible.

"What if I want to?" Anna grinned at him, "I've heard I'm rather good as this."

"I've no doubt you excel in your field." John grabbed at her wrists. "But I don't want you to feel used."

"I don't."

"Let me amend my statement." John sat up partially, looking Anna in the eyes. "I don't want to feel used."

"For sex?" John nodded and Anna put a hand on his cheek. "I can promise you, Mr. Bates, I wouldn't use you for sex. I do happen to enjoy sex with you but I'm not using you for it. They made vibrators for that."

"Then what?"

"A human connection." Anna ran her thumb of his cheekbone, looking there instead of his eyes for a moment. "I think you'll find we're all trying to heal from something."

"And I'm helping you heal?"

"In a way, yes." Anna looked down and then back up at him. "Can I continue?"

"Part of me wonders if I should let you."

"But not the part that'll stop me?"

"I'm not strong enough to say no."

Anna grinned at him, licking her lips, "Good."

She lowered her mouth but surprised him when she kissed around his hips and toward his abdomen. Her kisses were soft, as brief and gentle as butterfly wings, and set him on fire where she deigned to rest them. And they worked so well in a distracting concert that John dug his fingers into the comforter on the bed to stop himself performing a jackknife when her fingers closed around him.

If he ever trusted a stranger touching his body in a non-sexual setting… but who was he kidding, he did not trust strangers in a sexual setting since he understood the finer points of sex. That, he admitted in the tiny corner of his brain not overwhelmed by the exploratory caresses of her fingers, took longer than he would ever admit to anyone but he did learn and he vowed never to repeat that mistake. If he had submitted to the massage therapists everyone raved about then maybe John would know what it felt like to be treated to a sensation more relaxing than this. But he doubted that.

With the edge of his mind, the part of him not dedicated to his hold on the sheets, realized he never had anyone focused on his pleasure before. The blink of that thought sparked before his eyes as he tilted his head to see Anna and then vanished as her mouth closed over his tip to swirl her tongue in the slit of her erection. It ripped a groan from him that forced John's eyes closed so as to cling to the edge of sanity so he would not shoot off too soon.

Another bad memory from his younger years.

"John?" Her fingers scratched over his skin, digging into the muscles to force him to look as her as she swirled over him. "I think you're distracted."

"I… I have a lot of thoughts."

"All the time?" Anna grinned at him, her fingers running over his legs and back around to tease his arousal. "Even with my tongue doing this?"

She dragged it from base to tip, circled the head, and then back down to leave him shaking. "I guess I'm not as good as I thought."

"It's…" John hauled in a deep breath, "I've never had anyone take care of me like this."

Anna paused, her fingers now barely grazing his arousal. "Never?" John shook his head, cracking an eyelid to see her. "Then I'm going to enjoy this all the more."

Her mouth closed over him, sucking and teething him until John practically bit through his lip trying to stop himself crying out. Within a minute he gave that attempt up as a bad job and tried to tear through the comforter instead as his knuckles whitened with every hollowing of her lips around him. About the moment he thought he might make a mess of it, in every possible meaning of the word, she released him with a pop.

John mistook the moment for a reprieve and took a deep breath. It left in a rush before he could even take the oxygen he needed when Anna rose up on her knees to sink down on him. She slid slowly down his length until he settled deeply inside her. His stuttering breaths filled his ears, distracting him enough as Anna tilted and rocked until she could get no closer and John could reach no farther into him.

Anna bent over him, holding still as he twitched and held back. Her fingers slid over his arms, massaging him until she reached his face. His eyes finally opened when her fingers slid back and forth over the skin of his temples and she leaned her body onto her forearms like she wanted to plank on his chest.

"Still with me?" The soft whisper of her voice brought John around enough for him to nod. "Good."

She went to move back but John caught her wrist, holding her in place while his other hand sculpted her arm to reach her side so he could hold there. "Is it helping?"

"What?"

"You said we all heal in different ways." His fingers trailed up, brushing her breast so she gasped and tightened her muscles around him. John gritted his teeth, "Are you healing?"

"What do you think?" Anna kissed at his mouth and moved.

The gentle rocking set John into a rhythm as he tried to hold on to any part of Anna he could reach. But she served as an insufficient anchor when her hands and lips tried to send him over the edge. His only hope to combat the speed of her assault was to trace over the lines of her body.

He massaged and kneaded her breasts, distracting her for a few moments before she regained control with a line of kisses to his neck. John tried again with kisses of his own, pulling himself to sit up to wrap his arm around her to try and clutch her tightly to him, but Anna carded her hand in his hair and employed her tongue to combat his. And even when his fingers tried to play her clit, she raked her nails down his shoulders and back. Soon he gave over to her control and tipped over the edge at the deep squeeze of her vaginal walls.

The final shudders of his body timed with her climax, fumbling fingers trying to send her over the edge again as well, and John dropped his forehead to her shoulder. Her fingers now soothed over his back despite the shake to her own limbs while their chests pressed together in a search for air.

Eventually John slumped back, guiding Anna with him so as not to surprise her, and rested his head just shy of the pillows. She shifted to slide off him and John tried to move to give her more room but Anna just slotted herself around him, laughing to herself. He tried to look at her but John could barely move.

"I just wanted to give you more space."

"I'm flexible." She leaned over him, shifting onto his chest to fold her hands and rest her chin on them. "Although you didn't get nearly enough demonstration of that."

"I got a decent demonstration." John slipped just a little more to the side and Anna swatted at him. "What?"

"I said you didn't have to move."

"I wanted to give you room."

"You're far too generous and that's unnecessary." Anna adjusted, keeping her head on her hands. "And I'm flattered beyond words."

"Says the woman who gave me a blow job."

"It's the thought that counts." Anna ran a finger down the line of his nose. "Has no one really ever done that for you?"

"I didn't say no one had never tried." John shrugged, shifting up the bed and adjusting the pillows to support him. "It's… It's hard to explain."

"If it has anything to do with that horrible woman you left at the wake then I can only guess what that was like." Anna shuddered, "How'd you ever meet her?"

"It was back before I started my business. I was working with a friend and we were trying to get capital together to start our own company in our off hours. She went to the same pub I did and had a few ideas when she overheard us." John sighed, "At first I thought it was business acumen but I found out she was just good at being vindictive and sucking everything she could from an opportunity."

"But she helped build your business?"

"It's how she's getting half of it." John focused on Anna's arm, running his fingers over the skin there. "She did help build it."

"I hope you're not keeping her involved with it."

"I won't have to worry about that." He brushed a bit of hair from Anna's face. "I already separated the company. She's getting assets but nothing she could use against me. Nothing that would let her get ahold of this place."

"Not a worry I had initially but I did get a bid of a chill down my spine at the thought she might drag herself here."

"A chill?" John shifted his fingers to run over Anna's spine. "I don't feel a chill there."

"Cheeky." Anna rolled her shoulders to upset his hand. "But I am sincerely glad she's not coming here."

"I wasn't scoping out a retreat for reconciliation."

"The only person she needs to reconcile with is her priest or whatever demon she worships." Anna sighed, "She did destroy you?"

"We didn't really have fun together, not after we realized what that would mean."

"How'd you mean?"

"We married when I was young and ambitious and a fool. I didn't realize what running my own company would mean, the hours it would take, or the fact that I'd be asking just as much from her. And she didn't understand that the kind of money I was talking about making when we were flirting and dating and drunk wasn't the kind of money I'd have until much later. We were young and prideful and stupid."

"And you got hurt for it."

"You make me sound like a martyr when I wasn't." John shook his head, "I never hit her and I never hit back but I had a tongue and I knew how to use it. It only got worse when I was drunk."

"Why not defend yourself?"

"It's difficult for a man to defend himself when anything he does is then considered abuse. Especially when no one believes a man, of any size really, can be intimidated by a woman or hurt by them." He snorted, "It's the same reason the legal code in Britain is slanted against men in those cases."

"How'd you mean?"

"The laws are built under the assumption that only men hurt women." John put a hand to his head, raking it through his hair. "I saw those kids in my classes growing up. I knew the families where they cried in their rooms at night as they heard their parents arguing or fighting or hitting each other. I knew the men who did it. And I know why those laws are in place. But I also know there are men, like me, who never told anyone because who would believe them. Women don't hit men."

Anna drew her fingers over his skin, running over imaginary lines until John caught her fingers. "I hope I'm not going to be the object of pity for you."

"Sorry?"

"Don't pity me."

"This isn't pity." Anna bit her lip, pushing herself onto her arm and then sitting up. "I might've lied by omission to you."

"About?" John brought an arm behind his head, looking up at her.

"About why I hate Alex Green." Her teeth clacked a moment, "I said I hated him because he's destroyed this area and that's true. He's got no respect for the area or the environment or the peace found here. But that's not all of it."

"I had a feeling your emotions were a bit too vitriolic for it to just be that you hated how he treated Mother Nature."

"He's got money and that creates a kind of fan base around him. Worse, he knows it does and he abuses it to get women. Impresses them with expensive gifts and takes them to fancy dinners." Anna lifted a shoulder, her fingers picking at the comforter while she readjusted her position. "When I first got this job, before your mother bought the place, I fell for it. I fell for the charm and the elegance and the delusions of grandeur of it all."

"And then?"

"And then he had me in his car, driving me back here, and pulled over to tell me I could either walk the ten miles home or I could go into the backseat with him."

"What?" John pushed himself to sit up, back against the headboard. "Was he serious?"

"I didn't think so at first. He'd only ever been respectful and kind, the perfect gentleman and a sense of humor and a bit more charm than I was used to." Anna flexed her jaw. "I tried to laugh it off but then he moved toward me and I realized he was serious. So I told him no, to take me home, and he refused."

John waited, his hands itching to reach for hers but wanting to hold back, to give her space. "Then?"

"Then I got out of the car, took off my heels, tied the edge of my nice dress around my waist so it wouldn't drag along the ground, and started walking." Anna finally raised her head to meet John's eyes. "I called everyone I knew so I only had to make it about four miles before someone got me but I still almost froze my feet and I was shivering so badly it took me two days to feel warm again."

"And what happened?"

"I told people but what could I do? He didn't attack me or assault me or even do anything but refuse to drive me. That's not a crime and since I didn't come to any real harm it's not like they could do anything." Anna snorted, "Even with laws designed to protect women from men, they're still not great at doing that are they?"

"I guess not." John touched her hand, skimming his fingers over the backs of hers until she caught them. "Is that what you meant?"

"I've never had anyone respect my opinion the way you do. Or listen to me when I speak about this place or even give a single shit about including me on business meetings. Except your mother."

"She was a singular lady."

"You're a lot like her." Anna gripped his hand tighter. "That's why I did what I did."

"At the risk of sounding offensive, I'm not sure it says much for the other men you've dated that me just listening to you gave justifiable reason for what you did."

"It was fair play, Mr. Bates." Anna licked her lips, kissing over his knuckles. "Can't say I've had many boyfriends… or even convenient shags willing to go down on me either."

"Then maybe we're both been seeing a lot of the wrong people."

"I think we have." Anna unfolded her legs, getting off the bed. "But I'd be willing to see more of you."

"Enough of me that you're leaving?"

"I've got a thing about sharing a shower before I've gone on an actual date with someone." Anna put her hands on the bed, leaning over enough to kiss him briefly. "But if you take me on a nice date I think we could rectify that."

"Where would you like to go Ms. Smith?"

"Dinner's always a good option and then I could show you a bit more of town." Anna nodded at his suitcases. "And get you some location appropriate clothing."

"I'm only here for a few more days."

"Then leave them in the room for when you come back to check on your investment." Anna pushed herself to stand, walking around the bed and finding her clothing. "The walk of shame's not so far when you're down the hall."

"It'll be farther if I'm in another country."

"Then I guess we'll have to work that out when we get that far."

"When?" John grinned and Anna wagged a finger.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'll admit that I should've used the word 'if' but I like you."

"Because your horses like me?"

"Because you went three rounds in one night. Imagine all the orgasms I get to catch up on." Anna opened the door, giggling at the expression John painted on his face. "I'll see you in the morning Mr. Bates."

She left the room and John rested his head back against the headboard for a moment before pushing himself off to the bathroom.

* * *

The sky barely glimmered pink when John snuck through the lodge. Every creak in the almost-perfect flooring and stairs had him freezing as if he played a complex game of Red Light-Green Light but he made it to the mudroom. When he almost toppled himself over trying to get into the boots, John wondered if he made a horrible mistake.

But holding the urn carefully in one hand, he maneuvered into the stables and set it gently on the lectern to approach Jane's stall. He put out a hand and the horse walked over to it, nuzzling against his skin, and his sigh of relief almost matched the grunts and neighs from the others hoping for similar affection. John opened the door and led Jane out into the space to get her bridle secured around her head.

"I do hope you don't mind me taking you for an early morning jaunt." John risked a look back toward the urn as he put a blanket over Jane's back and slid the saddle from its perch. "I need to fulfill a promise and now's the best time to do it I think."

His knee to Jane's gut was not as sharp as Anna's might have been but Jane, in her infinite patience, accepted the saddle and the bag John draped over it to hold the urn. He led her into the yard and mounted, holding the reins a bit tightly at first and then loosening them enough to lead her forward. And, as Anna promised, Jane proved just as gentle when he rode her alone.

They ascended into the hills where Anna tried to see the sunrise and he found the spot where she showed him the view on the first day. John dismounted, looping Jane's reins over a tree branch, and extricated the urn to make his way to the spot Anna claimed his mother finalized her desire to buy Greener Pastures. He stopped, turning a circle in the spot before taking a breath.

"You were right, I did need this place to heal Mother. It's… It's beyond anything I could've imagined. The land here has a life of it's own. To hear Anna talk about it… You'd think this place was made for someone like me. For someone who needs what this kind of solace and solitude could offer. Someone with a lot of weight to finally lay down."

John wiped at his eyes, sniffing against the chill of the morning and the wetness clouding his vision. "I guess I just thought I'd have to bend under it for the rest of my life and I didn't realize… I didn't know I could lay it down. But I'm going to. I'm going to lay it down here and never think of it again."

He took a deep breath, the exhale puffing a bit on the air. "And so, I commit your ashes to the skies and the lands you loved. To the place you held as your secret haven for so long but now feel you can share with me. To the warm earth instead of that sodden place next to Dad." John chuckled, "He'd be jealous you got to come here."

The urn lid popped and John tested the direction of the wind as he tipped the canister. In wisps and whipping slivers the ashes poured from the jar. Each shake and tap let a bit more float away to spread far and wide over the land until the jar had nothing left. John gave it a final shake, feeling a bit disrespectful, and pressed the lid back in place.

In the distance something howled and he jumped, turning back to where he left Jane. But she stayed still, Anna's hand patting her neck. John climbed toward her, noting Layl just a few steps from Jane.

"Did you follow me?"

"I worried you might be sleepwalking and then I saw the urn." Anna folded her arms over her chest. "Her final wish?"

"She didn't want to be buried in a church cemetery when she could be here."

"I don't blame her." Anna waved a hand at the urn. "It was beautiful, what you said."

"I didn't expect anyone to hear."

"And I didn't come here to spy on you." She looked at the ground, dragging her boot through the dirt and twigs. "I needed to say a bit of my own goodbye to her in the place I knew her best."

"Thank you for giving me the privacy I needed."

"Of course." Anna cracked a hint of a smile. "I also worried you might fall off Jane on your way up here or back and wanted to make sure I wasn't carting you off to hospital or anything."

"Jane managed me just fine."

"I see that." Anna offered him her hand. "I also wanted to make sure you'd be alright."

"I will be." John tucked the urn back into the bag and nodded at Layl. "He mind being up this early?"

"He's used to it." Anna clicked her tongue for the horse and he trotted over. "And he's well behaved."

"Better than me?"

"Considering I've ridden you both," Anna mounted her horse, moving the reins and looking down at John. "I'll say he's more obedient but you know what you're doing so, for now, you're evenly matched."

John coughed, "I don't mean to sound impertinent-"

"The fact you just used that word has me nervous."

John grabbed his saddle, mounting to give himself an excuse to not speak a moment. He perfected his grip on the reins and looked at Anna. "You've not ridden me nearly as hard as you could and, given another opportunity, I'd like to prove that to you."

Anna's eyes flickered a moment and John suppressed the urge to run his tongue over his lips. She leaned over the saddle, hissing at him. "I think I'll take you up on that offer as soon as time permits, Mr. Bates."

She kicked Layl and rode back toward the lodge.


	9. Dinner and a Show

John pulled his tie tight and stepped into the hall with his jacket in his hand. He caught sight of himself in the large mirror, carved around the edges with intertwining foliage reminiscent of the woods just steps from the porch, and patted his tie again. A laugh had him turning in time to drop his jaw to his chest.

"Keep pulling at the tie and you'll strain the poor fabric there." Anna pointed at his mouth. "And keep it open long enough you'll get flies in there."

John snapped his jaw shut and swallow before coughing his first words. "You look absolutely fabulous."

"Thank you." Anna twirled in place, "I don't often get a chance to wear this and I thought, since you were so kind as to offer me a night on the town, I should bring it out."

"You did show me around town today." John dragged his hand down as if to show off his suit. "Get used to this because it's the last time you'll see it for a bit."

"Now that you've got clothes to fit the environment?" Anna came toward him, running her hand over his lapel to pull it straight. "Although I do like the sight of you in a suit or button down. Makes you look like a Hugo Boss commercial."

"He makes nice suits."

"And you look even nicer in them."

"Better than in a button-down and some boots?"

Anna shivered, "Don't give me any ideas about getting you in just a shirt and some boots because I might discover a fetish."

"I once modeled for a calendar."

"Do you even want to get to dinner?"

"I do, actually." John extended and hand and kissed hers when she placed it in his. "If you're willing."

"Of course I am." Anna walked with him down the stairs, one hand holding up the edge of her skirt. "Although I'm curious why you're so intent on dinner."

"You mean when you were so intent, just now, to get me into a bedroom?"

"I would've been alright with tearing your clothes from your body in the hallway but yes, the bedroom would've been preferable."

John grinned at her, leading them out through the mudroom and locked up before turning back to the gravel path leading to his car. "Because you told me something and I'd like to see it happen."

"What did I say?" Anna put a hand on her chest as John opened the door for her. "You're the one who said I hadn't ridden you hard enough."

"You said, and I quote," John leaned over the door as Anna situated herself in her seat. "That you've got a thing about sharing a shower with someone before you've gone on an actual date with someone."

"This is all an attempt to get me into a shower?"

"With me, inside the lodge." John shut the door and rounded the car to get into the driver's seat. "Because I think that'd be rather spectacular."

"We did it in a shower already."

"The showers near the barn." John shook his head, turning the key to turn the engine over. "Those don't count."

"They were good enough the first time."

"And people used to actually roll around in hay but we evolved beyond that." John shrugged, reversing the car to taken the rumbling gravel drive to the main road. "The shower was fine for what it was."

"But now you're too good for my outdoor showers?"

John turned to her, meeting her gaze until the car was silent but for the vibration of the engine as they waited at the end of the drive. "You deserve every amenity I can find to give you and all those I haven't found yet."

"That didn't answer my question." Anna leaned over the seat, resting her hand on his arm. "Are you too good for the outdoor showers?"

"For the next time I want to shag you in the showers, yes. In general, no." Checking both ways, and waiting for the glare of headlights to pass, John gunned the engine on the main road. "I think you're too good for me but that's another story."

"A good story I hope."

"The fact that you looked twice at me is good enough." John dug his phone from his pocket. "Could you find the address of this place?"

"Just keep driving." Anna pushed his phone back toward him. "I know what I'm about."

"You're giving me directions."

"Is that a problem?" Anna pointed at his pocket, "Would you rather Lola or Maureen or whatever you named your phone there gave you directions?"

"Why do you assume it's a woman?"

"Because the default voice on phones is American female."

"I changed mine to British male."

"Why?"

John winked at her, "So I can call it JARVIS."

"You call your phone JARVIS?"

"Surprising isn't it?"

"I don't know." Anna leaned back in her seat, smile coming over her face. "It explains your appreciation of the horses' names."

"What's there not to appreciate?"

"You've got a point there." Anna raised her hand. "Turn right at the next light and then another ten miles."

John followed Anna's directions and eventually pulled into the lot for the restaurant. As he got out of the car he noticed another car pulling in, draping itself dramatically across two spaces, and gunning the engine while parked. He snorted, pulling Anna's door open and offering her his hand.

"Milady."

"Are you always this polite?" Anna took his hand, rising carefully on her heels before weaving her hand in the crook of his elbow to walk with him. "This is service."

"And I'm at yours." John reached forward, pulling the door for her. As she moved past him to head inside, John heard a noise and turned toward the exuberant car. It rocked a bit and as John squinted a hand hit the fogging window, dragging through the condensation there, and he gagged a bit before heading inside.

"Something wrong?"

"Wrong?" John raised his eyebrows and Anna pointed toward the door.

"It took you a bit to get inside. The door's not that heavy."

"Oh, it's…" John flailed a hand toward the door. "There's just a car parked out there like a tool and definitely some shenanigans going on inside."

Anna snorted, covering her mouth to try and fight back her laughter. "Did you really just say 'shenanigans'?"

"Do you not know what the word means?" John teased back, almost dodging the elbow she tried to nudge into him before going to the host station. "Table for two, Bates."

"Bates?" The man looked over the list and then shook his head. "There's no reservation under that name."

"That can't be." John pointed to the podium. "Could you check again?"

The man looked John dead in the eye, "There's no point to check again. I just read the names."

"But you still could've missed one." Anna shrugged, "Would it hurt to check again?"

"There's no reservation under the name of 'Bates' here." He pointed between the two of them. "Maybe you both thought the other made the reservation."

"I made the reservation two hours ago." John pulled out his phone and pulled up the text to show the man. "Reservation confirmation."

"We reserve the right to cancel a reservation."

"We're here early."

"All the same." The man shrugged, "Sometimes these things just happen."

"These-" Anna stopped, dropping her gaze as a man with noticeably disheveled hair and a woman with lipstick smudged over her lips entered. "You know what, I think we'll just go somewhere else."

"Might be best." The man turned to the new couple. "Mr. Green it's so good to have you back with us."

"This is my favorite place." Mr. Green tugged the woman closer to him and they both stumbled a bit, giggling. "I hope you don't mind that we started our evening a bit early with some pre-dinner cocktails."

"I can get you something sir."

"Perfect." He turned, facing John and Anna. "You're shitting me? Anna Smith left her little temple on the hill to rejoin society and she's in the company of a man. Ethel, is this really Anna Smith?"

The woman on his arm pushing back her red hair as she blinked her unfocused eyes, nodded emphatically. "That's her. Blonde as ever."

"Don't discount her because of her hair." Green nipped at Ethel's ear and grinned at both of them. "Redheads may be a bit loser with their morals and their limits but blondes are more fun. That's the phrase right?"

"I wouldn't know." John put a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Do you have another place in mind?"

"Another place?" Green spluttered and flailed a hand at them. "This place is the best you'll find around here."

"So I was told but they lost our reservation so…" John shrugged. "Maybe another time."

"They lost your reservation?" Green lurched toward the podium, leaning on it. "Did you really lose this poor man's reservation?"

"It wasn't-"

"In a town this lacking you're going to force him to eat at another shit hole?" Green shook his head and tapped the laminated map of the floor. "Get us a four-person table. They'll share with us because, as we all know, four's perfect company."

"That's not how the phrase goes." The man risked and Green froze, his face hardening. "It's 'two's company and three's a crowd', sir."

"And how long have you worked here?"

"Six months, sir."

"Do you want to make it to seven?"

"Yes sir."

"Then, from now on, the phrase is 'four's perfect company', understand?" The man nodded and Green slapped his hand on the podium, smile brightening his face immediately. "See, what that so hard? Now, where's our table?"

"Mr. Green this really isn't necessary." John stepped forward again, eyes darting to where Anna held her arms tightly crossed over her chest. "Ms. Smith and I can make alternative arrangements."

"I'm sure you could but you don't have to now." Green nodded at Anna and pulled Ethel with him as the host waved for them to follow. "Come on, it's not the best steak you'll ever have but it's better than anywhere else around here."

John turned to Anna and she rolled her eyes. "Do you want to leave?"

"I don't think we've got a choice."

"We can leave, Anna."

"If we do it won't be pretty and as much as I think the host was being an ass, I don't want anything to happen when Green owns a little too much around here to let this kind of slight go." Anna interlaced her fingers with John's. "I'm just sorry you'll have to deal with this."

"With him?" John lowered his voice as they took the other two spots at the table where Green and Ethel already made those at the tables around them cringe away. "I've wined and dined enough assholes to know he's just like them."

"I already pity the dinners you've attended." Anna went to grab her chair but John pulled it out for her and helped lower her into the seat. "Ever the gentleman."

"Come on," Green spoke just as John opened his mouth, opening his hand toward them. "You're making everyone look bad. What if Ethel expects me to get her chair now?"

"Maybe it might raise the level of your associations." Anna's tight smile stretched her face so it appeared like she was in physical pain.

"I don't think it'd be worth the effort."

"Obviously." Anna muttered and pulled her menu up to block her from Green's view.

He turned to John, "So how do you know Ms. Smith?"

"I'm staying at the lodge."

"For what? The season doesn't start for at least another week and, pardon me for saying this, you don't look like the hunting-fishing-camping type that lodge normally attracts." Green winked toward Anna, "She likes herself a lumberjack."

"Does she?" John made a small snort, "I guess I'll need to get a bit brawnier and hairier."

"I guess you do." Green took the drink the server handed him, knocking half of it back in one go, and pointed a finger at Anna around the glass. "Although I'm honestly surprised."

"About?" Anna barely flicked her eyes in his direction.

"That this old cripple makes you happy." Green swallowed a piece of ice after cracking it loudly between his teeth. "Don't get me wrong, you look like you're probably worth a pretty sum so it might just be that she's decided it's never too late for a sugar daddy but still…"

"Still?" John pressed, leaning forward on the table and interlacing his fingers so they gripped one another white.

"Still," Green finished the other half of his drink. "Why pick you when she could've had me?"

"I guess you'll have to leave that up to her to answer." John shrugged, "I'm just lucky she even noticed me."

"I'm amazed she noticed anyone when all she seems to care about is that crumbling ruin." Green snorted and shook Ethel's shoulder as the woman swayed slightly. "What's wrong sweetheart? You took too much in the car?"

John turned his attention to Ethel, noting the uneven dilation of her pupils as Anna lowered her menu. "I think she might need medical attention."

"She's fine." Green waved it off before grabbing the arm of the server while shaking his ice-filled glass. "Another of these and steaks all around. Medium well-done I think."

"Alex," Ethel put a hand on his shoulder, blinking as her face paled. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Then get to the toilet." Green shook her off, "This suit's too expensive for you to ruin."

Ethel pushed herself away from the table, running for the restrooms at the back of the restaurant. Anna only took a second before she dropped her menu and napkin to follow the other woman. John half-rose from his seat but Anna waved him down and he went back to his seat. Unfortunately Green saw it and sniggered at him.

"Yes?"

"She's already got you whipped." Green flicked his wrist in time with a whip-crack noise he made before dissolving into snorts and giggles. "You're under her thumb and it's been how many days?"

"I've been at the lodge for four days."

"Really?" Green took the drink handed to him and sipped at this one. "Then you've seen him."

"Seen who?" John barely noticed Green, eyes still on the restrooms.

"The heir to Greener Pastures." Green shook his head, "It's too bad that old biddy got to the name before I could use it. It would've been brilliant for my chain if I'd bought that mountain when it was still a wreck."

"A wreck?" John finally turned his attention to Green as the man chugged half of his drink with a nod.

"Yeah," Green sighed, placing the almost-empty glass on the table. "Wreck."

"You mean the lodge where Anna works?"

"Yeah. I mean it was worse before because it was absolutely shit, kind of like this town, but then that old bag bought it and made some smart decisions and suddenly the place is booming." Green shook his head, shrugging. "I guess you never know when an investment'll pay itself out."

"I guess not." John frowned, "What would you even do with it?"

"Ski lodge, resorts for the rich, and some hunting ground." Green leaned over the table, "I'm thinking of some animal imports for hunting. I mean, why send people on safari when I could bring the safari to them?"

"Probably because it'd mess with the local ecosystem and because it'd be illegal."

Green scoffed, waving off John's comments. "I don't think you know how rich I am. Rules like that don't apply to people like me."

"They don't?"

"No. Not if you've laid all the ground work for the right pockets to line themselves. Then it's all 'I say "jump" and you say "how hi"' kind of thing." Green chewed on his lip. "I guess the whole thing was just bad luck."

"Because you couldn't buy the place?"

"Because the grandma bought it and left it to her son or something." Green tapped the table with his fingers. "See, I contacted the lawyer and he was all gung-ho about getting me in touch with the new owner so I could buy it off him but then he apparently came out here to check out the property himself. Who does that?"

"People who want to make smart investment decisions."

Green narrowed his eyes, "Is that what you do?"

"I run an investment firm and it's made me a good deal of money so I'd like to think it's what I do."

"Then tell me how I get this guy from Ireland to sell the land to me?"

"I'm sure it'd only happen over Ms. Smith's dead body." John waved toward the restrooms. "She'd never let it get sold."

"Then she's got the guy on her string?" Green leaned back, shaking his head. "I knew Anna got to him. It's what my appraiser said."

"Appraiser?"

"Yeah. I have a guy who works all my appraisals and he goes out there with a good offer. Not what the land's worth but what does an office monkey know about land value?"

"Not much."

"I know, that's why I think that bitch got to him first."

"That 'bitch' being-"

"Anna." Green reached over, drinking the contents of Ethel's glass. "I'm amazed she even got you."

"Despite me being a has-been?"

"You've got money, that part's not hard to figure." Green finished the drink. "That hard part to figure is that she doesn't put out. I once gave her a chance and she turned me down. Why do that?"

"Maybe she wasn't interested."

"In men?" Green chortled, "I wouldn't be surprised about that."

"I'm sorry if I was unclear," John cleared his throat and Green finally looked at him. "When I said maybe she wasn't interested, I meant that maybe she wasn't interested in you."

"What's there not to interest her?" Green opened his hands from his leaned-back position. "I'm a catch and, not to brag, pretty good in the sack."

"Is that what your girlfriends tell you?"

"They all do."

"Then maybe you need to reevaluate if you told them how much you're worth before you asked them if they enjoyed it." John drank the rest of his water and rose to his feet as Anna lead Ethel back to the table. "They're usually honest if they think you're not bragging about the size of your wallet."

"What did you-"

"We need to get her to hospital John." Anna held Ethel's shoulders to keep her upright. "Now, if we could."

"I think that's for the best." John pulled out his wallet, counting out a number of bills. "Enjoy the rest of your evening Mr. Green, I'm sure you'll find someone else to shag in your car on the way home."

"Are you judging me Mister…" Green stopped, half-way out of his seat. "I never did get your name."

"Because I didn't leave it with you." John put his arm around Ethel's waist. "But I hope you drink the rest of the tab I just left."

Between Anna and John, they managed to get Ethel into the backseat of John's car. Anna slid in with her, holding the woman's head to her shoulder while her other hand held a bag in Ethel's lap. John lowered the windows of the car and peeled out of the lot toward the main road.

"I'll need navigation." John raised his eyes to meet Anna's in the rearview mirror. "Do you know your way to hospital from here?"

"Make a left at the first light."

John kept to the speed limit, conscious of the murmuring and moaning woman in the backseat, and finally pulled into the emergency entrance. Anna helped Ethel out of the car and waved John into his seat as he went to help her. Instead, as the two woman made their way into the A&E, John turned the car back toward the small town.

Between his phone and a few wrong turns, John finally found his way back to the carpark. He managed the bags of food and the serpentine pavement into the waiting room, looking around for Anna. But when he could not see her John consulted with the woman at the front desk. Less than ten minutes later he sat next to her in molded plastic chairs outside a room.

She flicked her eyes toward him and pointed at the bags. "I do hope those aren't both for you."

"And if they were?"

"I'd ask if you'd go and get me something that's not coming from a vending machine or whatever canteen they've got here."

"Then you're in for a treat." John passed over one bag. "They're both the same thing so the choice is a bit arbitrary."

"Good." Anna clutched the bag toward her and opened it with a smile.

"Like what you see?" John opened his own bag, rolling down the edges to extract the contents.

"You found a chippy." Anna made a face at him, pulling a carton of salt and vinegar chips from the interior of the bag. "How'd you know?"

"You're British and this is as much a staple as that tea you keep in the lodge." John stabbed the large straw into his shake. "How is she?"

"She's better now that they've got her on magnesium and vomited twice." Anna shuddered, pulling out two chips. "I'm surprised her nose wasn't bleeding at the restaurant."

"He got her high?"

"Ethel got herself high." Anna corrected, "She's never been one to turn down the chance to look like she's edgy and cool."

"We've all made that mistake."

"You didn't try to impress Green." Anna stabbed her own straw into her shake. "Bastard's not even called to see if she's alright."

"He's got your number?"

Anna held up another phone, "I've got hers. I took it and her other things until she's coherent enough to realize she's even got hands."

"Not how she expected her evening to go I think."

"Not how I expected our evening to go either." Anna leaned back as far as the stiff chair would allow. "I'm sorry."

"That you're a noble, caring human being more concerned with poor Ethel than the dickhead probably still downing drinks at that place?" John shook his head, "Don't apologize for that."

"But you had an evening planned and-"

"And I was concerned with the idea of getting us to a bedroom later and maybe a shower stall." John smiled at her, leaning back as well. "I think we'll be fine."

"How's this compare to other first dates you've gone on?"

"Considering I usually dated them at least three times before I had sex, I'd say we've already broken all of my old conceptions about dating." John grabbed for another chip. "But that's life for you."

"Waiting in hospital to find out if a relative stranger is going to get over her overdoes while eating take away in fancy dress?"

"I think more people should eat take away in fancy dress, personally." John raised his shake to toast with Anna's. "To a lovely evening."

"To a lovely evening." Anna took her shake back, sipping on it. "But you've missed something."

"Is it crucial?" John took the straw from his mouth, ignoring the sip he was about to take.

"Might be." Anna ate another chip. "But I'll let you decide."

"Now you've got me nervous."

"Don't be." She soothed. "It's a good thing."

"How so?"

"Well," She put her drink to the side. "I was just going to say that this still counts."

"Counts as what?"

"A date." Anna waved around them, "Not ideal circumstances and certainly not idyllic but it's enough for me."

"Is it?"

"Absolutely." She took another pull through her straw. "So you'd definitely get to share a shower with me."

"Would I now?" John leaned closer to her, grinning at the glint in her eyes. "And is there anything else we'd get to do Ms. Smith?"

"You said you wanted to see how hard I could ride you." Anna whispered, putting her mouth next to his ear and biting down on the lobe. "And I want to see exactly how hard that is before we both break."

"One thing at a time." John coughed, trying to drink a bit of his shake before almost choking on it. "First let's make sure our new friend is going to be alright and then we'll worry about the other stuff."

"I'm not worried." Anna winked at him, removing remaining chips from her bag. "I'm excited."


	10. Promises, Promises

John blinked, sitting up and cracking his back in the process. He groaned, caught himself before Anna's head could slip off his shoulder, and adjusted in the stiff chair. The gentle buzz of the lights overhead made telling time impossible so John dug into his jacket pocket for his phone.

The motion roused Anna and she pushed off his shoulder to stretch and cracked her neck. "That was unwise."

"Sleeping in these chairs or on me?"

"I think it's the chair." Anna tapped on his arm. "You were an amazing pillow and support system."

"Wish you could've discovered that on a more comfortable surface."

"Now that you've taken me on a date that's a possibility for you." Anna's back cracked as she moved in the chair. "As soon as possible, I think."

"I agree. These chairs are the worst." John stood, moving tentatively as his whole body stiffened and stretched awkwardly for a few steps. "And it's late."

"As in late in the evening or we're in the early hours?" Anna gathered up their trash and risked moving across the floor barefoot with her shoes dangling in her other hand. "I think I just risked tetanus."

"I could've done it." John pointed at his feet, shoes knocking together. "I'm protected against the risk of MRSA."

"And in other situations I might've let you." Anna pulled out her phone, "Ah, early hours. No wonder I feel exceedingly exhausted."

"I think we should get back." John looked about, "Is it a good sign if they never came to tell you if something happened right?"

"I think so." Anna shrugged, grabbing the edge of her dress. "I've never actually waited long in hospital. Or waited for anyone in a hospital so I'm not sure about the etiquette of this whole thing."

"I've done it a couple times." John checked his pockets and grabbed his jacket. "I think we're good to go."

"You've done..." Anna nodded, "Right, I forgot."

"It's fine." John shook it off. "It's nothing."

"But it is." Anna put a hand on his arm. "It was your mother, right?"

"Yeah." John nodded, "But I'm serious, it's not a problem. And it wasn't anything I wouldn't have done for any other family member."

"Bit callous of me wasn't it, forgetting about Maggie and-"

"Anna," John held up a hand. "It's alright. Let's just find a doctor and get ourselves onto a more comfortable surface."

Anna leered at him, "Are you making a rather indecent proposal?"

"Can I make one?"

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't after all this build up." Anna rolled her shoulders, "Although if you've got a gift for massage I'd be a bit more curious in that at the moment."

"I might have a bit of experience in that arena." John's lips twitched. "But it's usually sexual in nature."

"I'll take that all the same." Anna sighed, letting her lips quirk up a bit.

"Maybe what you really need is a nice, hot shower." John sniffed his coat. "A bad combination of takeaway and hospital's made me a bit fragrant and I don't think they bottle this scent to sells in stores."

"Because no one wants to smell like piss, salt, grease, and bleach." Anna put her hand on the counter where a lone nurse sat vigil under the glare of a buzzing light with the bluish reflection of her computer screen giving her an almost ghoulish underlighting. "Can you tell us the condition of Ms. Parks?"

"Are you her family?"

Anna shook her head, "We just brought her in with a suspected overdose. We wanted to make sure she was alright before we headed off for the night."

"You're better friends than most then." The woman clicked a few buttons and then nodded at the screen. "She'll be fine. They've got her on a few things and they're keeping her for observation. The police'll be by in the morning for her statement."

John frowned, "Will there be any legal action?"

"That's up to the police. We just make them well here. What happens to them afterward is a bit out of our hands." The nurse tried to give them both a reassuring smile. "It's not a bad thing. Sometimes people need a little wakeup call. I'm sure your friend'll get hers when she's in a fluorescent vest cleaning up rubbish off the side of a road. They usually try to stay away from the authorities after they've scummed a few road-side canals."

"But she'll be alright?"

"She's fine now, thanks to the two of you." The nurse paused, "Should I take your information for her? In case she wants to thank you herself?"

Anna shook her head before John could speak. "I doubt she'll be thanking us but thank you all the same for the offer."

"Sure thing. And drive safe. It's late and you're both a bit knackered."

"We'll keep ourselves vigilant." John wrapped his jacket around Anna's shoulders and they walked out to the carpark. "She was nice enough."

"I find most people in positions of high stress tend to be nicer once you actually have a conversation with them." Anna pulled John's jacket around her shoulders, shaking her head. "I've stood in enough lines with people named 'Karen' demanding to see a manager because of something that's not the fault of the salesperson, nurse, operator at the drive-thru, or the ticket guy. It's disgusting."

"Respect for human decency isn't really high on everyone's lists." John shoved his hands into his pockets and dug out his keys to unlock the car. "But why'd you tell her that Ethel wouldn't be grateful?"

"Anyone who wants to hang, literally, on the arm of Alex Green won't be too grateful for the exposure that a, they were doing drugs and b, that she might have to wear a safety vest." Anna shrugged, John's over-large jacket lifting and falling in a significant shuffle over her dress. "It's the nature of people convinced they want something bigger than they're pretty pissed when you've denied them that."

"Wait," John leaned over the roof of the car, holding the key out toward Anna. "But didn't you date Green?"

"Yes." Anna raised an eyebrow, "Where's the rest of your question?"

"I just…" John coughed, "You don't fit the same type as Ethel."

"I'll take every bit of that compliment I can." Anna tapped the car. "Does this thing open?"

John hurried over to her side of the car, unlocking it and opening the door for her. "Sorry about that."

"You got distracted by the context of the conversation, it happens." Anna took his hand and lowered herself into the seat. "But I wasn't always this down-to-earth."

"So there was a version of Anna Smith who's a bit…"

"Sluttier?" Anna laughed as John hurried to speak. "Trust me, I've been pretty slutty with you."

"I don't shame anyone their sexual preferences or pleasures."

"You're a gentleman." Anna buckled herself in as John steered them out of the lot. "But I was pretty into the idea that I could get a lot for a little at one time."

"We all are." John steered them along the roads back toward Greener Pastures. "But I guess that long walk you had once told you differently."

"It certainly helped steer me in the right direction when I realized that to keep getting all that free stuff I'd have to first realize it wasn't free. I was selling myself for things I didn't actually want when I thought about it." Anna snorted, shaking her head as if to laugh at her younger self. "I'm sure almost giving myself hypothermia helped my brain clear a bit in that."

"Did you realize what you did want?"

"Not him and that was enough to get my head out of my ass." Anna leaned her elbow on the door and put her head in her hand. "Isn't it funny how you can look back on what you did as a kid and realize what an idiot you were?"

"I'm pretty sure I spent ten years working through all the mistakes I made as younger person and kicked myself in the head for every one of them."

"But without them then neither of us would be here right now would we?" Anna waved her hand at the interior of the car. "Without our mistakes, missteps, and general mucking about we wouldn't be here."

"Where do you think you'd be?"

Anna puffed her cheeks and blew out a stream of air. "Probably still in Yorkshire. I would've gotten the law degree my stepfather wanted and then practiced in some London firm or even a smaller one in Yorkshire. Either way I would've found myself alone or with a fellow workaholic husband occasionally sharing dinners from a microwave and discussing kids awkwardly at the family functions we actually aligned our schedules to attend. Might've gotten a divorce by now if that stayed true to form."

"Well I've already got my first statistical divorce so I guess I'm safe for a bit." John shrugged, "And maybe you would've found yourself a housefather willing to work around your schedule so you'd have kids."

"They still wouldn't know who I was." Anna sighed, "I dunno. In general I think we live the lives now that we were always meant to live."

"You think the future's written?"

"Maybe. I know that I can't see around the curve of time but maybe someone out there can and they know what we'll do already but because we don't know it's still a mystery to us."

"Sounds a bit depressing."

"It could be worse. I could believe in chaos gods and say life is doomed to end with Cthulhu monsters sucking our brains out our nostrils."

"You're right. I much prefer your designation for the predestination to losing my brain to a tentacled monstrosity drawn by a man definitely high on the wrong kinds of drugs."

"That seems to suggest you believe there are the right kinds of drugs."

"Anything for pain at my age is the right kind of drug."

Anna snorted her laugh at him before nudging her elbow into his arm. "What about you? Where would you be?"

"I'd either still be married, having been adult enough when the problems started to have gotten us both into counseling or therapy or something."

"Or?"

"Or I'd never have married Vera." John tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel and took a turn. "Without her I'd never have the business I do and I don't think I could've gotten my mother the care she needed in the end."

"I didn't think Maggie was hurting for money."

"No, she wasn't, but with my divorce she had her money blocked so Vera couldn't take any of it. That meant I stepped in when my mother took a turn for the worst." John shrugged up a shoulder, "It's funny but, thinking about it, I wouldn't have had the means to care for my mother if Vera hadn't come into my life."

"Take the bad with the good, is that it?"

"I guess it is." John managed a little half-laugh, "Although I don't think I should ever thank Vera for that. She and my mother were always at loggerheads."

"Two strong Irish women fighting over the man they had in common." Anna paused, "No, that didn't come out right at all."

"It was rather 'sister-wives' sounding."

"We are up in the bush." Anna made a face, "Maybe that's alright here."

"I'm going to nip that conversation in the bud right now before we go somewhere we can't get back from." John pulled up the drive and parked in front of the house twinkling with a few lights bedecking the outside. "It really is marvelous."

"It's my port in the storm." Anna adjusted in her seat to better view the house. "For all the things I went through to find myself here, I wouldn't take back a single one."

John studied Anna's profile and the way his coat practically sagged on her. "Me either."

"Come on." Anna put her hand over his. "We better get in. Mrs. Patmore comes tomorrow to set up for the bookings that start next week and we've still got to get you familiar with how it all works here before you go back."

"Sounds like you're in a hurry to get rid of me." John got out of the car but Anna beat him to her door, opening it herself, and shook her head.

"Of course not. But I'm a pragmatist and I know that there's only a romantic comedy hope you'll say 'sod it' to your obligations and come here to run a holiday resort for horseback riding, camping, and glamping."

"Glamping?"

"Glamor camping. It's the rustic feel of keeping your hairdryer next to a wall made with logs."

"Like the lodge?"

"Exactly like that but it's more the cabins on the edge of the property. Those places that feel hard to get to but still get cable and internet."

"My mother's idea?"

"She wanted them to have to fend for themselves honestly but I guess I prevailed on her enough to be kind to the poor snowflakes who'd rent those." Anna laughed and dug her keys from the tiny bag she had with her. "And good thing I did because those cabins make us a pretty penny from people who want Instagram photos that make them look environmentally conscience but really hide the truth of the Netflix binge in the background."

"What is social media if it's not that line from Shakespeare?"

"Is it that one from _Macbeth_ that goes, 'It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'?"

John nodded at her, following her through the dimly lit kitchen. "You're a fan of _Macbeth_?"

"It is, without question, my favorite of the Bard's works." Anna shrugged, "You've got to find one you love when you're reading them all through school."

"Well," John stood at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm at the point of wondering if I should do the gentlemanly thing and bid you goodnight."

"It's more like good morning now."

"Either way." John waved his hand toward the stairs. "I'd hate for you to think dinner tonight was just to seduce you into sharing a shower."

"If it was," Anna moved closer, lowering her voice to make a conspiratorial whisper. "I think takeaway wasn't the best option for that."

"Not romantic enough?"

"You tried the romantic bit and it got overrun by an asshole and his date of the evening."

"Not to mention then having to take said date to the hospital and falling asleep in molded plastic chairs."

"That part makes up dumbasses." Anna laughed, "We should've fallen asleep in the chairs with insufficient cushions."

"Don't," John massaged his neck. "I can already feel the crick in my neck from imagining what falling asleep in those chairs would've done to me."

"Then I say we should try and relax all of our aching muscles with a nice, hot shower." Anna proceeded up the stairs, pausing to half-turn to him in the dimness of the house. "Maybe you should join me… to conserve water."

"It's the responsible thing to do."

"And we're trying to be environmentally conscious so…" Anna opened her hands to him, taking the stairs backward with careful movements. "Just a thought."

John debated for exactly one second and then hurried after her. The door to his room gaped open and the shock of white light from his bathroom almost blinded him but the sight of Anna stripping out of the top half of her dress certainly did. He froze a moment, mouth slowly dropping open, and only moved when Anna's eyes met his in the mirror.

"You're acting like you've never seen me naked before."

"One should never get complacent around art."

"Charmer." Anna turned, leaning back on the counter with a bend in her wrists as they held her in place. "You'd think you knew how to flatter women."

"I've had a bit of practice." John stalked toward her, "Although each one requires a different strategy."

"Strategy?" Anna tipped her head back as John crowded her toward the counter, his hands going on either side of hers so his thumbs brushed over her knuckles. "Do tell me the intimate details of your great seductions Mr. Bates."

"A magician never reveals his secrets."

"You're not a magician."

"Then a gentleman never kisses and tells?" John dropped his head to drag his lips in a whisper of a line down the column of her neck. "You wouldn't think so highly of me if you thought I told everyone about how I attracted women."

"Pretty sure you just use your sincere nobility and they drop their panties in the street for you."

"You didn't." John nipped at her pulse and tracked his way toward her ear.

"I was wearing jeans. They're not…" Anna's breath hitched as one of John's hands finally settled at her waist and stroked up the exposed skin of her side toward the strapless bra keeping her breasts contained and from his view.

"What about jeans?" John teased, teething at her ear before kissing along her jaw in time with his other hand pushing the convenient fabric of her dress further down her hips.

"They're not conducive to panty-dropping."

"I wouldn't think so." John drew back to look Anna in the eye as her dress hit the floor with a muffled thump. "But I'll have you know there are ways to get around that."

"Ways you care to show me?"

"Depends." John ran a finger along the line of her knickers. "Do you want to drop your knickers now?"

"It'd be more convenient since I forgot my jeans." Anna shifted her hips against his hand so his fingers caught in the elastic band of her knickers and tugged them down her legs a bit. "And I can't shower in formal wear."

"Best not." John let his other hand glide to her knickers and slowly dragged them down her legs, keeping eye contact all the while.

Anna slid herself onto the counter as the knickers reached her ankles and they came easily off her feet. They joined the dress as John gathered the clothing from the floor. Hanging the dress on the door and letting the knickers take up a corner of the countertop, John pulled his tie loose from his collar.

Before he could let it slither free, Anna's hands closed over his and dragged him back where she sat. Her legs opened, inviting John to stand between them, and her fingers danced over the tie before snapping it clear. John turned his hands to Anna's exposed legs, grinning at her as she wrapped the tie around her hand and then grinning even more broadly when her eyes widened at the sneaky glide of a finger between her folds.

Her fingers clenched in his shirt, holding herself steady with that as an anchor and her tightening knees as levers, and her eyes scrunched closed. John's fingers continued to stroke and slide over her, his thumb occasionally flicking at her clit to bring another tremble to her thighs as his other hand continued running over her skin. Each pass of either appendage brought out different gasping breaths from Anna and only grew louder the deeper or higher John ventured. And when he finally kissed her it swallowed the moan she let out when two fingers entered her.

The tight, clinging wetness there sucked and pulled at his fingers but John continued to adore her with his mouth and hands. They exchanged kisses, mostly guided by Anna's other hand holding claw-like at the back of his neck, that only punctuated with whimpers and keens when John's free hand took position at her breasts to tweak and tantalize in concert with his ever-questing fingers below. Fingers that soon had Anna breaking the kiss to cry out when her vaginal muscles vibrated and clutched him through her finish.

John went to draw away, to turn on the shower or even just finish taking off his crinkled shirt. But Anna's fingers flew faster than he could follow. They ran down the buttons of his shirt, flipped the catch on his belt, and opened his trousers before John had even fully exhaled. And when her hands shoved them lower on his hips to expose the edge of his pants, John could only watch as Anna took care of that as well.

Her hands pushed herself forward on the counter, the streak of her skin on the granite echoing around the bathroom, and her knees held more tightly to his sides. They looked at one another for one moment and John stepped forward until the edge of the counter struck his thighs. Anna's hands went to the back of John's neck and he used his to align them so it only took a single thrust to drive into her.

Head thrown back, teeth digging into her lower lip, and eyes shut so tightly lines appeared on her temples, Anna's reaction almost bucked John into a merciless pattern but he held back. His fingers dug into the smooth surface of the counter, knuckles white in reaction to the immediate squeeze of her around him. But when her fingers eased from their death grip, her knees relaxed slightly, and her eyes finally opened, John did not move slowly.

Risking the guaranteed bruises on his thighs, John matched those bruises with his grip on Anna's thighs and ass. Her own hands clawed over his exposed chest and delved into the gaps of his shirt to rake at his shoulders. The kisses she pressed to his cheeks and lips were swift and hurried between her gasps for breath into his neck. Every puff of hot air there only drove John faster.

The punishing pace only relented when Anna titled her hips forward and finished again with a cry into John's ear. It may have deafened him but there was nothing left in John's rational brain to care. He continued until his body could do nothing more than release. A release that had him sagging against the counter and almost slipping on the bathroom floor.

Anna's nails reminded brought him back in time to stop himself knocking forward into her or falling on his ass on the floor at the risk of bringing her with him. They regained enough presence of mind to get John righted on his feet and took a moment to giggle at the absurdity of it all. As they continued to fight back fits of giggles, more than likely a combination of the circumstance but also their lack of sleep, Anna helped release the cuffs of John's shirt so he could leave it to hang on the back of the door with her dress.

His shoes kicked into the corner and his socks limply followed, always function over fashion with the little details of clothing not made to entice or excite. John shoved his trousers and pants down the rest of the way before snapping his trousers out to lay them over his suit jacket on the back of the chair in the bathroom. His pants he left with his socks… both so different from the undergarments made for women.

Then again, John mused as he caught sight of Anna finally releasing her bra to expose the rest of herself to the world before turning the knobs on the shower, men weren't trying to seduce women in the bedroom. In his experience, women tended to respond to bedroom invitations made by men in well-cut suits. Men responded to women when they were in the bedroom and finally showed off the lingerie purchased to seal the deal the suits had initiated. A thought John saw coming to perfect fruition now.

She stepped under the streaming jets of water and John could only gawk in adoration at the sight of her. Anna turned her head down, catching his expression and her eyes flicked down a moment. John's hands twitched to cover himself but instead stalked the three paces to the glass door of the shower and opened it to join her.

Before she could put her hands on him, John knelt on the floor of the shower. He ignored the strain of a body already suffering the residual effects of a hospital chair or thighs bruised from overexuberance. His knees and his body could sod it for all he cared as he pressed Anna back into the wall and spread her legs. Without another word his mouth set to work.

Water pounded his back, easing the muscles at first but the heat gathered and John vaguely wondered if his back now resembled a cooked lobster. But with his tongue buried deep, occasionally taking respite from its explorations of her interior to suck over her clit or lick between her folds, John could only slide his knees forward on the grooved tile and add the efforts of his fingers. Anna's fingers found their earlier placements in his hair and dug in for a long stay until she came shuddering around him.

It was enough to get him standing, albeit on shaky legs, a moment later. She jumped into his hold and opened her legs to him. John thrust forward, his hands taking their earlier position as if the memory of where he might have left bruises served as markers for his fingers, and spread her legs wide. Anna ground down on him, shoving with her shoulders as leverage to respond to his motions.

One of her hands left its post at his neck, the other compensating by sinking her nails a bit deeper into his skin, and moved between them. Anna's hand slid over her clit and the motion occasionally sent her fingers skittering over John's erection when it pulled back. He groaned and practically sank his teeth into Anna's shoulders as her touches forced him harder and faster. She bit down on his earlobe and they crashed together.

This time they did slip on the wet floor. Anna's arms caught herself on the ledges for shampoos and soap while John's hit the wall flat with the hope that force could prove a barrier to the reduced coefficient of friction on the shower floor. And, again, providence shined on him and he did not crash face-first into the tile floor of the shower.

"I think," Anna gasped out, gingerly placing her foot on the floor and turning the heat of the shower down, "We've had too many close calls already."

"It comes in threes." John warned and sighed as the cooler spray eased over what was probably a very red back.

"Do you come in threes?" Anna picked a bar of soap from the floor and lathered a loofah with it before taking it to her body and motioning John to leave the stream of water.

"I've never had reason to before but I think that's partly due to interest and enticement." John winked at her, catching the edge of a shampoo bottle with his foot and managing to flip it into the air. He caught it with a hoot. "Or encouragement."

"Well I'm not sure how much the body can take but I'd be interested to see if there could be a third." Anna took the shampoo bottle and lathered the contents into her hands before taking it to her hair. "Mind getting my back for me?"

"Sure." John took the loofah and another dose of soap. Anna turned, tipping her face to the floor to rinse the soap from her hair and expose her back to John.

It was too tempting to resist. He kissed down her spine, lathering the soap from the loofah in slow, methodical circles down her back. She shivered and moaned at the sensations before jumping when John bit down at the swell of her ass.

Anna's head came up, throwing her hair over her shoulder, but John moved her slowly out of the spray and toward the back wall of the shower. He crowded her against it, kissing over her shoulders and nipping in the cleft between the blades that stuck out with definition as she arched her back into him. The motion thrust her ass over his rising arousal that might have received a cheer if John were a teenager impressing himself with his virile nature.

Instead he was intent on using his fingers, slipped between Anna's hips and the wall of the shower, to help her reach a fifth. And soon she did. Enough so her body sagged and let her legs slip open slightly. And even with the niggling risk of the third possible mishap landing them both in hospital after a rather daring series of sexcapades, John thrust forward.

Their earlier paces were just prologue. The slope of Anna's back, the way her breasts fit into his hands, the sounds she made that then distorted in the water and echo of the glass cube to bounce off the walls of the bathroom, and the thrust of her body so her ass snapped in the cradle of his hips was enough to set an unforgiving pace. One Anna encouraged when her nails dug into his thighs and pulled him closer while her fingers slipped over him while trying to find that elusive sixth rise.

But they found it. Coming together, their sounds mixing as their bodies finished, John put a careful hand to the wall of the shower. He glided free of her slowly, ensuring every step before he cracked his head on something or slipped on a bar of loose soap, and held his breath until he stood surefooted in the spray.

Anna turned, her chest still heaving, and smiled at him. "Celtic warrior."

"Must be the Scottish in me."

"Whatever was in me," Anna stepped into the spray to wash herself clean, "I'll risk it if I get to have another round sometime."

"Probably not until we've both either slept or eaten." John rinsed himself as well and turned off the water edging with the risk of running cold. "Or maybe both."

"I'll take sleep first." Anna pushed open the door and grabbed a towel. "Here."

She threw one at John and he missed the catch. It hit him in the face and he almost tripped out of the shower. His wet feet slipped on the floor and only a collision with the counter that drove the beginnings of the bruises from the earlier deeper into this skin stopped him.

"Not the only three." He groaned, wincing and grimacing as he took the towel from his face and inspected the damage. "It could be worse."

"It could've." Anna agreed, pointing between his legs. "You could've damaged that."

"I knew you were only after me for my junk."

"It's a worthy cause." Anna wrapped the towel around herself. "Should I take this as 'good night'?"

"Only if you don't want to sleep with me." John pointed toward the bed as he toweled his hair dry. "And I do mean sleep since I'm about this close to fall face-first right here."

"You almost did." Anna laughed, "But I get what you mean."

"Will you?"

Anna made a show of looking between the bed and John before shrugging and removing the towel to hang over a bar by the shower. "How could I say no?"

John grinned and followed her into his room.


	11. Duty Calls

John's eyes twitched at the increasing glare of light. He snorted and shuffled, trying to move to his side. But something stopped him and only a crack of his eyelids would tell him what weight sat on his middle. Even blinking only convinced him he was still dreaming. That was the only way to explain the angel perched on his midriff and the fingers dancing their massage over his hips.

He moaned and tried to bring a hand up to wipe at his eyes, in the vain hope of clearing his vision, but the weight on his middle shifted and he arched his back to match the buck of his hips when lips sucked gently at the tip of his erection. One he did not realize he had until it thickened further as the hot mouth worked lower. And John's eyes opened wide enough to see specks of dust clearly floating in the air when Anna's fingers traced over his sack.

"Good morning." Her voice broke through John's chest caving and filling in a hurry to try and restore normal brain function through regulated oxygen. He blinked, almost on instinct, to see Anna sitting up straight to look over her shoulder at him. But with her fingers and hand still continuing to stroke him all John could do to answer was whimper and moan. "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty."

"Please…" John lost his train of thought as Anna tucked her hair over one shoulder and dipped her head again.

Part of him was grateful he was not fully awake. If he was then John was sure his self-control would shatter. It would have given him a clear view of Anna's back and ass as she bent over him. It would have enlightened him to the existence of her legs bent on either side of his hips and tightening to better control her body in response to the reckless twitch and buck of his hips. And it would have forced him to take control from her so he could stop himself.

But rendered helpless and at her mercy by the surprise, John could only hope his brain restored power to all main operating systems. Could only pray he did not find himself experiencing the throes of a rather racy and scandalous dream if Anna were still sleeping peacefully next to him. Could only wish she read him better than he read himself to stop before he finished.

Anna proved just as adept at handling him in her position as she did in all positions and dragged her teeth a final time over him before swirling her tongue toward the slit in his tip. John clenched his hands in the sheets under him, hissing through his teeth as Anna dabbed a simple kiss there before sitting up. And whatever her plans for further torture or torment they immediately met the immovable force of John's chest against her back.

She only sighed into a giggle and turned her head to face him. "Not willing to be very passive in this anymore, are you?"

"You woke me up rather thoroughly so I think it's time I participated." John's arms wrapped Anna's waist for a second, squeezing her close to him so her ass settled on his erection. "I might return the favor."

"I don't know how long you could wait." Anna twisted against him and John put his forehead to her shoulder and groaned into her skin when her ass rubbed against his arousal. "It might be a bit more… Dangerous, than you're willing to risk at this current moment."

"You're right." John kissed at the joining of her neck and her collar. "But I promise, I'll spoil you soon."

"Do tell." Anna tried to tease but moaned into John's hands as they shifted up to hold and knead at her breasts.

"I'll say this," John nipped at her earlobe before kissing down the column of her neck. "I can't wait to spoil you."

She quivered in his hold as John kept his hips stationary while continuing to massage and caress her breasts while kissing over her shoulders and neck. Anna twisted her head to meet his lips when she could but John tempted and teased her away from his kisses when he tweaked her nipples or tightened his hands over her breasts to leave her sighing and moaning in his arms. A reaction that forced John to scoot unattractively across the bed to get his feet on the floor.

"You know," John whispered in Anna's ear as they settled, "I think you'd like another chance to ride me."

"You did suggest that I may not've ridden you as hard as I could've." Anna's head tipped back onto his shoulder as she lifted up her knees to adjust her position on John's lap. "And maybe I haven't."

"Then don't let me stop you." John waited for Anna to turn so their lips could meet and deepened it until neither of them could breathe. "Ride me."

John moved his hands from Anna's breasts to settle on Anna's hips as he tipped back to lay flat on the bed. She turned over her shoulder to him, a glint in her eye he matched when he tripped his fingers toward her folds and stroked there until Anna moaned. Her hand aligned them and John settled his hand on her thigh to grip there when Anna sank down on him. The unforgivingly slick strangle of her vaginal muscles had John sucking for air before he could even think, much less speak.

"Move," Was all he could choke out and Anna did exactly that.

Her fingers dug into his thighs, to mimic his grip on her hip and thigh, and she rode him. John responded to her cues and motions, following her lead as she steered them unerringly toward the destination that would signal their mutual pleasure. Arching his neck into the mattress as he tried to alleviate the tingling at the base of his spine, John gripped harder at Anna's thigh while his other hand snaked between her legs. He stroked and pressed in time with her gyrations and soon Anna cried out as she clenched around him.

The swift fall into climax had John bending in half and holding tight to Anna's hips as she held tightly to him. His body finally released and he collapsed back onto the mattress as Anna sagged back onto his chest. They breathed heavily until Anna slid to lay on the mattress next to him. Her hand rested on his chest before it slipped off to the sheets.

John turned to her, smiling, "Was that as hard as you could?"

"Are you doubting my commitment?"

"I'm not easily breakable." John rolled onto his side, "And I'd hate to think that you'd go easy on me."

"Why don't you show me what you mean and then I'll see if we compare." Anna raised her eyebrows, "I'm sure you've got some ideas."

"I do." John nodded toward the headboard. "You'll be more comfortable there, if you can slide up there."

"Oh," Anna adjusted on her elbows, shuffling back with her heels on the bed to scoot. John watched as she settled and grinned when she raised an eyebrow. "What's got your attention?"

"You do." John maneuvered around her, his hands settling on her ankles to move her legs apart, and settled in the space he created. "Everything about you's always got my attention."

"Keep talking like that and you'll get whatever you want."

John did not answer. He only laid down on his chest and slid forward to put his mouth on her clit. Due to his lack of warning, John had to move his hands to Anna's thighs to stop her legs snapping into his ears when she tightened. But John held the awkward position until he ran his tongue lower to separate Anna's folds before delving to find their shared taste.

Anna's back arched and John rose with her until he could manage a hand on her abdomen to bring her back to the mattress. Her legs opened and John maneuvered his other hand forward to take the place of his tongue so he could suck hard at Anna's clit. With a steady pinch of his fingers, the crooking of them inside her, and the occasional nip at her nerves, Anna came in a shaking torrent.

Soft strokes kept her going, quivering and almost twitching as she tried to breathe, and John watched each movement. His tongue traced over the mess he made before drawing up to kiss at her hips instead. And when his lips no longer detected the tremble of her orgasm, John pressed his fingers deeper inside her. It triggered another arch to her back as her muscles tightened.

John followed each of her sounds with his fingers. Her fingers dug into the sheets on the bed, tugging them from the mattress to further rumple them from their adventurous morning. And the fingers not rumpling in the sheets found a hold in John's hair. A place that further triggered John's fingers to seek out those places that left indentations in his scalp.

When she came the second time, crying out John's name to echo through his room, John drew himself over Anna. The glazed look in her eye and the flush to her cheeks made John wait until she could finally meet his gaze. As their eyes met, John sucked his slick fingers into his mouth to watch her breath catch.

"Well done Mr. Bates." Anna sucked in a breath, "I think you've outdone yourself this morning."

"I'm sorry?" John frowned, trying to hide his smile at Anna's confusion. "Did you think I was finished?"

"What?"

"I told you I'd not want you to go easy on me and you said I should show you what I mean." John put his hands on either side of her head, "And I'd like to show you what I mean, if you're willing to try something new."

"What are we trying?"

"Would you like to go for a ride?" John whispered by Anna's ear, dragging his teeth over her earlobe.

"In this position?"

"How strong do you think your arms and legs feel right now?" John dragged his hand over her thigh, teasing a run of his finger over her folds. "Because I'd hate to put you out of sorts when I've left you boneless."

"I'm sure I can match whatever you've got in mind." Anna lifted herself up, her hands wrapping the back of John's neck to kiss him. Her tongue ran through his mouth before drawing back. "Feel free to do as you wish."

"Then signal me whenever you want me to stop." John pulled back, allowing Anna to get onto her stomach. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I think you'll make it fun for the both of us." Anna turned over her shoulder to him, dragging her hair to hang over the other side. "But don't worry, I'm not afraid to tell you what I don't like."

"I'll do my best to impress then." John bent over, kissing down the length of Anna's back. "I will so enjoy this view of your back."

"And here I thought you were interested in my ass."

"That too." John placed a kiss just above the rise of her ass. "I just didn't want you to think I've got a kink."

"I'll take the compliment." Anna shivered as John massaged her ass and maneuvered her legs open to take his hips. "I've worked hard on my ass."

"It's a beautiful ass." John let his hands massage up her back before kissing back toward her ass. "I appreciate everything you've done."

"And will you get anything done?"

Before Anna could finish her teasing giggle, John thrust forward. Her head hung down toward the bed and she moaned. He gave a little laugh as he adjusted slightly to ensure he reached the end.

"Is that done enough for you?"

"Greedy bastard." Anna groaned as John drew to the edge and drove back in. "Fishing for compliments isn't attractive."

"No," John agreed, setting a steady rhythm as he kissed her shoulders. "Very unattractive. How do you possibly stand me?"

"Might have something to do with-" Anna's voice hitched as John rolled his hips before increasing his speed. "With what you know how to do here."

"I'm so glad you like my work." John leaned over Anna to adjust their angle as he set to ride her more thoroughly.

"I love your work."

"Then I'd better finish strong."

Their skin slapped together as John drew back to dig his knees into the mattress. Each thrust he drove toward Anna met with her equivalent thrust. With her hands and knees as support, Anna greeted his drives with force and almost toppled John. But when he moved a hand from his secure hold on her hip to her clit, Anna quivered under him. Their rhythm hitched but John recovered and thrust in time with his stroking fingers to trigger Anna tightening around him. It only took another moment for John to follow her over the edge.

They collapsed sideways, twitching and tugging at one another as they settled on the mattress. John rolled onto his back and threw an arm under him to try and tug the sheets into a semblance of order. All the sound in the room for a few minutes was the two of them attempting to breathe as their hearts raced. When they finally slowed enough to attempt speech, all John could do was laugh.

Anna joined him, settling more onto her stomach, and grinning widely. "If that's the kind of action you wanted, you should've showed me that first."

"I was trying to be a gentleman the first time, impress you with my technique." John shrugged into the blankets and turned onto his side to face her. "I didn't think you wanted me to show you that on the first try."

"You're right, I've no idea what I'd have done if you did that the first time." Anna took another breath and John could not stop himself running a finger down her side. "You just continue to surprise me."

"I'm glad." John chewed on the inside of his cheek. "You know I only have a few more days here."

"Is that a warning or a notification?"

"How'd you want it to be?"

Anna held his gaze for a second before shrugging. "I honestly don't know."

"No?"

"Don't think it's not because I don't like you," Anna moved onto her side, catching John's hand to trace his fingers with hers. "Because I do."

"I figure that's got to be true since you're like this with me right now."

"Cheeky." Anna swatted at him before settling back on the bed. "But I do like you. You're probably the most… Interesting man I've met in a long time."

"I'll take the compliments I'm dragging from you." John gave a little laugh and Anna joined him. "It's almost like an interrogation."

"Almost." Anna sighed, "But you're going back to Ireland and I'm staying here. For as much as I'd like to think we're living in the day and age where every romance ends successful and we're in a romantic comedy I don't think that's something we should, reasonably, expect."

"So if I asked you to come and visit in Ireland that would be…"

"Much appreciated." Anna lifted her head onto her hand, her elbow digging into the mattress so her other hand could trace a finger down his chest. "And I'd probably say yes to an invitation like that."

"It wouldn't be an inconvenience?" John mimicked her pose. "Because I know you're about to get into your season and I don't want to interrupt your work."

"That's very kind of you." Anna stopped her finger short on his chest. "And I'd coordinate appropriately, I promise."

"So you'll come?"

"Of course." Anna grinned, "I'd have to find time to meet with my business partner about the success of this place."

"I like the sound of that." John settled onto his back again, turning his head to keep her in view. "It's been so long since I've have a partner in business."

"Have you wanted one?"

"I like having someone to understand what I'm going through." John paused, "My ex-wife was that for awhile until she realized what that would mean."

"Threw a spanner in the works there?"

"Very much so." John sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "There's a mental toll, in what I do, that I don't know how to express. I'd want someone to share that with so I could find…"

"Pity?"

"Support." John let his shoulders sag into the mattress. "But now I've got to change lawyers because I can't keep Murray."

"Because he was going to sell you out to Green?"

"That and because he had no faith in this place." John shook his head, "This place is… It's what my mother stood for. It's what my mother loved and he doubted that. He doubted her and that…"

"Unforgivable?"

"Very." John frowned and sat up, "Is someone coming up the drive?"

Anna listened for a second before shooting out of bed. "Shit!"

"What?" John tried to adjust on the bed as Anna hurried to gather her things from the bathroom. "Should I-"

"It's Mrs. Patmore, our cook." Anna nabbed a towel and wrapped it over herself. "She's coming in today and I… I got distracted."

"Should I apologize?"

Anna paused and put a hand on the bed to lean over and kiss him while her other hand managed all of her clothes and kept her towel to her body. "Not in the slightest. Never apologize for that."

"Then I won't." John laid back down, watching Anna scramble to leave. "And you look just as lovely from the back."

"Charmer." Anna blew him a kiss and flashed him from her towel before darting back down the hall.

John laughed to himself and put his arms behind his head. "Beautiful."


	12. Goodbye for Now, But Not Forever

"Did you get your flight all worked out?"

John paused as he passed the study, noticing Anna working over the books with a man he did not recognize. "Why? Hoping I somehow failed to arrange the seat and everything?"

"Would that be such a shame?"

"Not at all." John entered the office and extended a hand to the man. "John Bates, at your service."

"Bertie Pelham at yours."

"The accountant." John took his hand back as they released from the shake. "Anna speaks very highly of you."

"She's said nothing but good about you too." Pelham pointed at the books. "Just balancing the funds to keep this little bit of heaven running."

"And for that you'll have my eternal gratitude." John knocked his knuckle against the scale model of Greener Pastures. "How long do you think you two can keep this slice of Heaven open?"

"Well," Pelham looked at Anna, who only nodded, and then back at John. "We're hoping for an expansion opportunity and we've got the cash to meet the high end of the offer."

John frowned and looked at Anna. "Expansion?"

"The Gillingham spread…" Anna flexed her jaw, "Or, what used to be the Gillingham spread is experiencing some legal troubles."

"Isn't that the land you said Green torpedoed?"

Anna nodded and spread a map over the scale model of Greener Pastures. "It's here. Thanks to Pelham's open ears and very unassuming appearance," She winked at the accountant, who only flushed a bit before turning back to the spreadsheet on his laptop. "Green's made a few people aware that he's trying to sell the plot. Says it's useless."

"You must disagree if you're interested in buying it."

"We've done some of our own investigations." Anna pointed at Pelham. "Bertie's got himself a friend who's a… He's out own little spy."

"Is he little?"

"His name is Henry Talbot," Pelham turned to face John, "He's… He's native to the area and we hire him to do a lot of our investigations since people tend to forget him. He can just… melt into the background."

"You've hired a magician?"

"No," Anna gave a little snort. "He's half Blackfoot. There's a… Tense, relationship between places like ours and the tribal lands in this area. It's part of why this particular opportunity if worth going after."

"How'd you mean?"

Anna tapped the map. "We're right on the edge of Tribal Lands. The Gillingham's old spread is right on the border with Tribal Lands and there are some arguments about whether or not they were sold some of the lands… Hence Green's desire to sell it now."

"He found out about there's a possible legal battle?"

"He's not keen on anyone investigating too deeply into his disgustingly run corporation." Anna shook her head, "But mostly it's because he already destroyed the spread so he's not mining anymore money from it."

"So you want to mine it?"

"I want to use it as an opportunity to make better friends with our neighbors." Anna drew her finger over the area and stopped at the edge of the Tribal Lands. "Why not offer our tourists something they'll not get anywhere else?"

"Nature?" John risked a grin at her, enduring Anna's scowl. "The out of doors? Wait, no, grass."

"Okay smartass." Anna stood up, folding her arms over her chest. "If you're going to be like that then I won't tell you."

"Don't be cruel, I've got a flight tomorrow night and this doesn't sound like something that should happen over the phone."

"Fine." Anna let her arms drop, holding the side of the table to nod at the map again. "We've been speaking with some of the tribal leaders about the possible revenue from tourism and they've agreed to take part in it. If we get the Gillingham spread then we'll gift it to the Tribal Lands. They'll use it to run, in concert with what we've got here, to 'enhance' the experience."

"What? We're going to do full-on reenactments or something?"

"No, more like… Historical learning opportunities." Anna shrugged, "They've got places in the US that do something similar. They'll have a historical site they've staffed with experts to make them like working communities to reflect the past. People go mad for them and there's no reason that we can offer something similar."

"You think people'll come for it?"

"They already come for horseback riding and glamping, why not a chance to learn some older traditions?"

John rubbed a hand over his face before sending his fingers through his hair. "Honestly, I don't know anything about it so I'll trust your plans. If you can pay for it, get the whole thing running, and duck the legal limbo then go for it."

"Really?"

"Why not? You're the manager here and I trust, as a partner in this, that you know what you're doing." John motioned toward the doorway, "Mind if I get a private word about something else?"

"Sure." Anna followed him into the corridor and John took a few more steps away from the study to try and not be overheard. "What is it?"

"I was wondering when you'd gone to the trouble of looking into this about the Gillingham spread."

"You think I kept it from you?"

"You've not mentioned since I've been here."

"Because you still had Green coming to look at the property." Anna slipped her hands into her back pockets, bringing her shoulders up in what John guessed was a kind of power pose. "At the time I kept it to myself because it was something Maggie had me looking into but made no moves for. I kept it from you because I didn't know if you'd sell to Green and I wanted to jump this ship for something else, if I could."

"And now?"

"Now I want to buy back that land and invest in it. The way he should've."

"Where's the money coming from?"

Anna winked at him, "Afraid I already stole from you?"

"Never."

She frowned, "Then why-"

"Because we've both made Green our enemy. I've been in business long enough to know that if he even gets a whiff we're involved it'll all be over." John clicked his teeth. "My ex-wife was the queen at using pettiness to lose us business when it might've suited my interests."

"I've thought of that, even before your beautiful self graced the doorways of this place." Anna pointed toward the room. "Bertie's agent, Mr. Talbot, will be handling it all."

"Does Green know that Talbot works for you?"

"That's the thing. Henry Talbot's a private contractor. He works for himself and his tribe mostly. He's on commission and he's actually done work for Green before so it won't be as odd as you might imagine." Anna took a breath, "The whole thing's going over as a sale to the Blackfoot Tribe. We'll be silent partners in the whole thing and we're only getting a third of possible profit."

"What about the expenses to run it?"

"It's mostly serving for Tribal preservation and even a possible nature preserve. The tourism aspect of it'll split just fine." Anna paused, "Are you worried we're not going to make money on it?"

"I'm worried about continuing costs of rebuilding something Green cocked up so horribly that he's already trying to unload it."

"Do you trust that I know what I'm doing?"

"Of course. Doesn't mean I won't worry." John put a hand on the wall his fingers rubbing against the wood a moment. "I'm sure I'm preaching to a very well-versed choir when I say that this is my mother's dream. Her spirit's in this place and I'll give my last breath to see that maintained."

"Message received." Anna pushed off the wall. "I don't think I'd respect you as much as I do if you were a spineless coward."

"If I were a coward I would've taken Green's lowball offer." John took a moment to bite at his cheek. "And, just so you know, if I worry that this place might go under I will overstep you."

"I'd hope so. That seems the smart business move." Anna jerked her thumb back toward the study. "I've got to finish a few things with Bertie but I was wondering if you're up for a ride. Just the two of us."

"Sure."

"One thing," Anna held up a finger, "We're only taking one horse."

"Scandalous."

"I do hope so." Anna gave him a final wink before returning to the study.

John went to walk back up to his room but almost collided with a lanky man with the longest black hair he ever saw. The two men looked one another over, almost eye-to-eye, and John pointed at the man's hair. "What kind of product do you use to get it that luscious?"

"Jealous?"

"A bit." John pointed at his head. "Not sure I could pull it off. I don't have your impressive cheekbones or that skin tone."

"Inherited from my mother and a long line of people before her." The man extended his hand. "Henry Talbot."

"I've only just heard about you." John took his hand. "John Bates."

"The owner." Talbot stepped back, folding his arms over his chest before nodding toward the sitting room. "Care for a little chat?"

"Not sure I should say no." John followed Talbot into the room and took one of the leather chairs opposite the cracking fire. "And not sure this is seasonally appropriate. I know we've only just left winter behind but it's officially spring out there and a fire seems a little overly dramatic."

"Sometimes a fire's about the ambiance and not the heat." Talbot stretched back in the chair. "I'm sure a man like yourself might find this kind of request a bit… odd. Or, at least unorthodox."

"I've never been immediately identified as something and then engaged in a chat, no." John gave a little smile. "Events like this are usually preluded with some mild small talk, annoying anecdotes, and a side comment about possible shared interests before the possibility of a sit-down is even suggested."

"Then I'm sure you appreciate why someone like me wouldn't have the time for that kind of nonsense."

"I do. And it's refreshing, really, to have someone not try to be my friend and waste time before they tell me what they want." John posed his elbows on the arms of the chair to interlace his fingers over the distance. "What do you want from me, Mr. Talbot, and why did you want to chat?"

"I wanted to see what kind of man you are." Talbot gave a little sigh. "I heard what you did for Ethel Parks and Ms. Smith holds you in high regard, which intrigued me, and made me want to meet you for myself."

"To meet the man who, however indirectly, hired you?"

"Exactly." Talbot tapped his finger against the arm of his chair. "I've known Ethel a long time. She… she tried to get pregnant off more than a few of my friends. I know what kind of person she is and the idea that she was with Green and got herself into some trouble surprised no one."

"But?"

"But you and Ms. Smith helped her all the same."

"It was Anna's idea."

"But you went along with it and, in my experience, that's a different kind of man." Talbot paused, "The same man who refused Green's offer when you knew nothing about this place."

"It was a surprise inheritance but it was my mother's pride and joy. I'd be a piss-poor son if I spit in her eye about it by selling it the moment I got it."

"I didn't really know your mother so I only know her through the people here. And the people here…" Talbot's lips twitched. "She is something special to them. I wouldn't go as far as to say they venerate her, but the emotions are similar."

"That's… a little awkward to consider, if you get my meaning."

"As the son of a mother, absolutely." Talbot's smile widened a little. "Doesn't make it any less true."

"Fair point." John pursed his lips. "Then what is it you want?"

"I want to know what you think of Ms. Smith's plans."

"For the Gillingham's spread?"

"For all of this."

John opened his mouth to speak but stopped, pausing to better form his response. "I'm sure you won't mind if I ask what your intentions are first. Since I am, as you said, the owner."

"You think I'm the kind to double-cross you?"

"Anna said you've worked with Green before."

"Business is business."

"Then what does it matter what I think of Anna's plans?"

They stared one another down for another moment before Talbot's mouth split into a wide grin. "I see why she likes you."

"And you? Do you like her?"

"Not in the kind of way that would encourage a pissing contest between us over her, I assure you." Talbot got more comfortable in his chair. "Mostly I'm curious because I have worked with Green. And you're right to be suspicious of people who play both sides of the fence."

"At the risk of saying something completely politically incorrect," John nodded at Talbot, "Not as worried as you should be."

"You'll find that the governmental and political climates about backhanding their deals to First Nation Peoples, as they're wont to call us these days, doesn't go so well. Not in the age of media transparency and a lot of second-hand guilt." Talbot sighed, "It's what I liked about Anna when I first met her. She's got one purpose and she'll not pussyfoot around with anybody about it. It's refreshing to not have to be on form with someone always taking the temperature of the room to ensure they say the right thing."

"She's got her own mind."

"Which is something I think you need to be worried about." John frowned as Talbot leaned forward. "You're not the first person to fall in love with her because of how strong she is."

"Are you warning me away from some terrible ex?"

"I'm warning you that if she thinks you're too much work or not worth the effort she'll wash her hands of you and never think of you like that again. And no amount of wooing or cajoling will ever disabuse her of that opinion."

"So you're not here to warn me off about possibly hurting her?"

"Anna's a big girl and she'll handle herself just fine." Talbot leaned back. "I worry more about the idiots who come through here and they think because she's kind and good that she's a pushover."

"Not a word I'd make the mistake of using with her."

"Good, because she doesn't suffer fools." Talbot took a breath, "I think she's the first person who taught me the power of kindness and meekness, odd as that sounds when I say it out loud."

"It does sound odd." John chewed the inside of his cheek. "Was this what you wanted to 'chat' about?"

"I wanted to take the measure of the man who now owns this place and will, within reason, soon be helping my people whore ourselves out to tourists."

"Is that how you see it?"

"It's more complicated than that." Talbot shook his head, "After centuries of misunderstanding and systematic annihilation, it's hard to quantify what teaching others about our culture means."

"And Anna's suggestion… Is that offensive?"

"I was the one who proposed it so the question is," Talbot pointed to his face, "Which side of me won out?"

"Because offering to teach the world more about your culture and offer a more authentic experience with them is 'whoring yourselves out'?"

"Because to make money on what matters to us is a very 'white man' kind of thing. But my people are at a point where we're on the brink of extinction. Not as people, necessarily, but as a culture. So few of us speak the language anymore and with a general deterioration of the lifestyles that we no longer live, the question is one of where we fit in a world where we're already ghosts."

"Are you secretly a poet, Mr. Talbot?"

"I studied literature and poetry in school." Talbot shrugged, "But I actually made my living in photography. It's what allows me to do work for Mr. Pelham without raising the eyebrows of Mr. Green, from whom I also take money."

"I've always been a very big advocate against starvation myself." John pushed himself to the edge of his chair. "Since you called this meeting, Mr. Talbot, I'll have to ask if that's all you wanted to discuss with me."

"For now." Talbot stood with John, shaking his hand again. "I think you're the kind of person that can appreciate this land in all its splendor and glory without losing yourself in it, and that's something I respect."

"Then I hope you still respect me when I confess I'm going back to Ireland tomorrow night."

"But you came all this way." Talbot gestured toward the window, the view gazing out on the mountains and the rolling hills. "You had to feel the earth beneath you before you allowed words to sway you. That's a very particular kind of man."

"Hopefully one you could see yourself working with again in the future."

"Absolutely." Talbot turned and waved. "Hello Ms. Smith."

"Mr. Talbot." Anna eyed the two of them, "Why do I feel like a girl who just walked in on her father giving her boyfriend a lecture?"

"Not something on which I'm qualified to comment." Talbot edged his way out of the room. "Until next time Ms. Smith."

"Bye." Anna's eyes followed him out the door before turning to John. "What was all that about?"

"I think he was taking my measure." John held up a finger as he moved toward Anna, "And making sure I wasn't going to hurt you. Seemed rather concerned that I didn't know what kind of person you are."

"Oh, that." Anna rolled her eyes. "What is it with men and thinking they've got to set limits on women? That somehow I can't take care of myself."

"I think he was more worried that you couldn't take care of me."

"Let me guess, he warned you that if I finished with you I'd drop you like a rock and never look back."

"Not in those words but the sentiments were the same."

"Gods…" Anna shook her head. "It's like I've got no feelings."

"I think he's just-"

"Don't." Anna held up a finger, stopping John immediately. "Don't say it. I'm tired of people saying they do it because they're worried. It's inherited misogyny and I hate it."

John stayed silent, "So… I shouldn't listen to him?"

Anna put her hands on her hips and then shrugged, her hands slapping as they went up in a 'give-up' motion. "I don't know. It's the same as wondering if getting his Tribe to participate in tourism is, as he loves to so melodramatically say, 'whoring them out'."

"Really?"

"He means well and I know that. Talbot's been a friend of mine since I first came here as an exchange student. I know what he's about because I'm not an idiot. But I also find it degrading because it's the road to Hell, paved with good intentions."

"I'm so confused right now I don't even know where I'd start explaining where I got confused."

"Better off not then." Anna jerked her thumb over her shoulder, "Still up for a scandalous horseback ride?"

"Will I have to walk the fine line between respect and insult?"

"We're all walking that line all that time." Anna turned on her heel and John followed her. "But I doubt you've had many problems with it."

"Not until now." John gave a snort as he followed Anna to the stables. "It's a classic set-up of 'you don't know what you don't know until you realize you don't know it'… If you understand my meaning."

"I think I do." Anna pointed to the tack. "If you'll get Layl's saddle blanket and that larger saddle there, we'll be ready in two ticks."

"Why the larger saddle?"

"So you're ass isn't dangling over the edge of the saddle and I'm not sitting on the saddle horn." Anna opened the stall door to lead out the massive, black horse. "And if you're worried, he can carry us both."

"I wasn't worried." John assembled the necessary accouterments and brought them to Anna. "Are you ready for this place to open?"

"Mrs. Patmore is, Bertie's got us all up to speed, Mr. Talbot's going to get us into an interesting bit of legal finagling, and our first reservations of the season arrive just after you leave." Anna shrugged, taking the other side of the blanket and helping John knee Layl in the stomach to tighten the saddle strap. "I've got to be prepared or this place falls apart."

"Would that ruin my invitation for you to join me in Ireland?"

Anna grinned at John over the saddle. "Don't think I won't need a holiday."

"When?"

"About mid-July. It slows a bit before you get all the family reunions and people trying to squeeze out the last dregs of summer." Anna rounded Layl, kissing him on the nose, before pointing to the saddle. "Me up and then you."

"Afraid I'll get in your way?"

"No, I'm afraid if you're up there when I swing up then I'll kick you in the face." Anna stuck her foot in the stirrup and John stepped back a pace for Anna to swing her leg over and mouth. She jammed herself as close to the saddle horn as she could before nodding. "Now you."

John waited for Anna to move her feet out of the stirrups so he could get onto the saddle behind her. The back of it rubbed against his ass but they found a relatively comfortable position before Anna tapped her heel against John's shin. "I'll need to be in charge here."

"I'm just along for the ride." John obeyed and Anna guided them out of the stables. "Although I'm curious why we didn't take two horses, like we normally do."

"Because this is a bit more intimate." Anna rubbed her ass back and John bit his tongue trying to stop himself making noise at the sensation that led to the twitching rise in his jeans. "See?"

"Yes." John responded through gritted teeth and held tightly to Anna's hips. "I could've gotten that without a demonstration."

"I know." Anna turned over her shoulder to him. "But apparently I'm the kind of person who takes what she wants and then walks away."

"I didn't say anything like that." John tried to defend but Anna clicked her tongue to Layl and he spurred into a trot and then a gallop that took them through the training pastures and up into the mountains.

The ride was mostly quiet, the two of them exchanging a few words and comments until they died out naturally. And unlike so many silences John knew all too well from disastrous dates, the silence worked as organically as their conversation. A yin-yang that kept them at a rhythm almost as steady as Layl until they reached a new location on the property.

"We'll be walking for a stretch here." Anna nudged her shoulder back into John's chest and he dismounted, stepping back to allow Anna the room to do the same. She flipped Layl's reins over his head and took them in hand before motioning to John. "This way."

They went further, working over a less-defined path, until Anna stopped them on a ridge. She pointed out and John noted the pock-marked land and half-rotted buildings gazing back at them like the remains of a lost civilization. For a brief moment the poem _Ozymandias_ ran through his mind.

"What is this?"

"The edge of your spread the Gillingham's old one." Anna pointed, "And over there, right where the creek forks, that's the boundary of the tribal land."

"This is what he did with the hot springs?"

"Tried to do." Anna shrugged and shook her head. "Not that he was ever great at business to begin with, but Green's taken this place and destroyed it."

"Because he doesn't understand the land?"

"The Bible says that the pursuit of money is the root of all evil and it is." Ana waved her hand at the scene below them. "It causes this. The damage'll take years to fix and more money than he'd ever spend to do it. But he just uses things up and wears them out before discarding them."

"Like Ethel?"

"Ethel…" Anna bit at her lip. "I'm guessing Talbot mentioned her to you."

"Said she'd tried to get pregnant off a few of his friends." John frowned, "What does that even mean?"

"Any child she'd have that was part Blackfoot would insure her government assistance and be taken care of by the Tribe, should anything happen to her." Anna shuddered, "It's a disgusting practice. Using someone to get money from them."

"And when it didn't work she moved on to Green?"

"I guess she liked shinier things." Anna kicked at a pebble. "But she's in recovery now and, hopefully, might actually do something with her life once they get her sober. I just hope she gets over Green while she's there too."

"What about you?"

"Me?" Anna pivoted, facing John. "Do I seem the type to give two shits about what Green thinks about me."

"But you do care." John pointed over her shoulder to the land behind her. "We wouldn't be plotting to take land from him, worrying about him, or even talking about him, if you weren't giving at least a single shit about him."

"Fine." Anna let a tiny smile tweak the corner of her mouth. "I give exactly half a shit about what he thinks of me."

"Do you want to know something?" John stepped forward, lowering his mouth to her ear. "I don't give any shits about what he thinks of you."

"No?" Anna's breath tickled his neck as John nodded and pulled back.

"No. Because I'd give all the shits about you."

"In that case," Anna turned Layl around, heading back toward the main path. "Better get you back before you've got to shit in the woods."

"Ha, ha." John waited until she mounted before getting on behind her. "But, in all seriousness, perhaps we shouldn't get back so quickly."

"And why not, Mr. Bates?"

"Because," John's hands moved around her waist, slipping forward to try and manipulate the buttons and zipper on her jeans, "It'd ruin the experience."

"Is this an invitation or a request?"

"Either. Or both. Whichever you prefer."

"I'd prefer if you continued." John noted Anna's knuckles whitening slightly on the reins as he slipped his fingers over the material of her knickers. "We'll just canter back."

"I'm sure that'll help my work immensely."

"Please." Anna tried to make her voice take on an unaffected air but John's thumb pressed at her clit through her knickers caught her breath. "It's not as if… I can't do this myself."

"While riding?" John tsked his tongue behind her, scooting closer to gain a better grip with his fingers and slip them under the elastic band of her knickers. "How'd you manage that?"

"If I do this." Anna scooted closer to the saddle horn, almost crushing John's fingers between it and her body. "And get Layl into a gallop then the pressure and motion do the rest."

"No fingers allowed?"

"I never said that." Anna gave a little laugh.

"Well, you're not alone now so," John slid closer and worked Anna just a bit back to regain his range of motion while the canter rocked Anna's ass against him. "We could have a bit more fun."

"I've no doubt."

They reached the stables just as John finally worked a finger into her, the cramped confines of their position making it difficult to gain the angle he wanted. But Anna guided them into the stables between her half-moans and whimpers. It forced John to reluctantly lose his hold on her but the second Anna dismounted she pressed him against the back of Layl's stable wall.

The large horse blocked them from view, Anna pausing from her assault on John's lips long enough to work Layl's bridle off his head so he could dedicate himself to his food trough. But the second he was freed, Anna was back to pressing John against the back of the stable wall. Their lips met furiously and John almost winced when they clacked their teeth together for the sixth time.

Anna did not seem bothered at all. Her hand at the back of his neck kept him at the position she wanted and her other hand working his trousers open finally reached its goal when she squeezed at his arousal. It broke their kiss so John could bite his lip to hide the groan she brought out of him when her fingers teased toward his sack before encircling him.

"Anna-"

"No one's around." She whispered and held to his shirt to twist their positions so John crowded her into the wall. "And we'll not have time tomorrow."

"Not tonight?"

"I'm loud and there are people in the house." Anna shook her head, her hand abandoning his neck to bring his fingers back between her legs as her jeans bunched and slid lower down her thighs. "I don't want them to hear."

"Because you don't want them to know?"

Anna paused, their bodies almost frozen in place as their eyes met. "Because I want this to be between us. I don't want anyone questioning my motives or methods of your interests. I want our professionalism to be above reproach."

"Bit late for that." John whispered, closing the space between them so his fingers could finally breach her folds to enter her. He watched the crinkling of skin around Anna's eyes when she crunched them shut. "I'm not above reproach."

"But this place…" Anna's loose hand held at John's neck again but not to guide his lips to hers. More like an anchor. "This place has to stay safe. It has to stay pure."

"It is." John assured her as his lips ghosted over hers. "It'll be perfect."

Anna kissed him then. Hard and almost harsh before separating and twisting in his hold. Her hands went to the walls and her still-covered ass thrust back toward John's hips. "It'll be easier."

"Will it?" John closed in, his hands working quickly to send their jeans down past their knees and their functional knickers following them. "Will it be as romantic though? Will it still satisfy you?"

"Of course." Anna turned her head over her shoulder to him, bringing him closer with her hand holding over his to bring it around her body and toward her covered breast. "You'll be deeper this way too."

"Minx." John kissed at the crux between her jaw and neck.

"Absolutely." She breathed back, bending her neck to urge John's kisses to her lips while one of her hands floundered behind her to find his erection.

John groaned into their kiss at her renewed hold and jerked into her grip in time with the strokes of his fingers inside her. The answering sigh had John carefully extracting their fingers and thrusting forward without another word. He was sure then that the whole stable groaned in time with Anna's noises as he settled.

The pace he tried to set was gentle, soothing, and steady. But with Anna's hand working back between them to run over his sack and him, John increased his speed. And when Anna's words whipped out to urge him faster and harder in time with the thrusts she aimed back at him, John could only acquiesce to her request.

Sweat beaded on his forehead and dampened her shirt where his hand flitted between massaging one breast and then the other. They continued all the same, adjusting their positions and holds until they could barely breathe. Every movement dedicated to the purpose of helping the other ascend to the heights they hoped to reach together. Within moments they did.

It took the last firing synapses in his brain for John to not sag on Anna. His trembling hand landed on the wall and he used it to push himself back from her and sidestep awkwardly to the water spigot to try and rinse himself. Holding out a hand to Anna, he helped her work over to join him so she could do the same. Their eyes met and Anna leaned forward to peck John's lips quickly as a voice called out.

They both froze as the voice called for Anna again. The woman's voice had Anna grabbing at her jeans to drag them back up her legs as she worked over to the stall door. On her way, she dipped to pick up the bridle before stepping up to look over the stall door.

"Mrs. Patmore, what brings you out here?"

"I'm setting up the kitchen and I'm wondering if I can move your stash of teas. I have to rearrange the space in the kitchen now that I've got Alfred working with me and I can finally use some high shelves."

"That'll be just fine." Anna leaned over the top of the door and John snuck behind her, his hands holding to her jeans and dragging them slowly back down her legs to leave her exposed. She barely flinched at his touch and only shivered when John repeated the motion with her knickers. "Anything else?"

"I guess I was curious about the new owner." Mrs. Patmore's voice became a little more conspiratorial and closed in on their position as John slipped himself sideways between Anna's legs and put a hand over her ass to keep her still as he ran his tongue over her. "I had Mr. Talbot in my kitchen earlier and he was all nerves and suspicions about him."

"I'm sure…" Anna stopped herself, John almost grinning into her skin as she struggled to speak normally with John's tongue working over her clit before sucking hard at it. "I'm sure he's around somewhere. Taking his last looks at the place before he jets back to Ireland."

"But you've met him. Is he… Is he good for this place?"

John paused, his tongue darting out to tease just short of Anna's entrance. She took a deep breath and her knees relaxed a bit. "I think he's exactly what we need for this place Mrs. Patmore."

"Good." John stroked the flat of his tongue along Anna. "Good."

"Now, Mrs. Patmore, I've got to finish seeing to Layl or he'll get cranky." Anna paused and John let his tongue move deep inside her. "Anything else?"

"Nothing." Mrs. Patmore's voice sounded as it moved away. "I'll tell you where we find to keep all your teas."

"Thank you." Anna's voice fell into a groan as John brought a gentle orgasm from her before pulling away. "Greedy bastard."

"With you, of course." John went to wipe his mouth but Anna was on him in a second, kissing away the taste of her.

They stumbled as she pushed him back onto a stool that he almost upended as he sat on it. But the ferocity in Anna's motions had John's jeans and pants below his knees in a second and his bare ass against the wood as Anna stood on one leg and then the other to rid herself of her jeans and knickers while still keeping a boot on the ground. The sight, especially as Anna rid herself of the rest of her clothing before divesting John of his, almost had him coming right there.

With Anna in just her hat and boots, she straddled his lap and sank down on him. Her arms looped back over his neck and she ground closer to take John even deeper. The groan rumbled through his chest, vibrating through her as she rubbed her breasts against him.

"What about Layl?" John tried to speak as Anna rocked against him, adding in the occasional gyration or bounce or grind to have him gripping hard at her hips for leverage and an anchor.

"If I don't get off, I'll get cranky." Anna dipped her head, kissing over John's neck as she rolled her hips. "He's patient. More patient than me."

"Good for him." John's hand slid to Anna's ass, digging his fingers into the skin to bring her even closer and hold her in place to better meet the thrusts he could aim once he finally got his balance on the stool.

"Don't think I didn't notice how you paused to hear my answer earlier." Anna nipped along John's jaw before facing him. "And don't think I don't believe it."

"I believe you." John paused their motions, tipping Anna's hat up just enough to leave him room to kiss her soundly. "I believe in you too."

"Good." Anna put a hand on his shoulder and angled back to change the depth so John let his neck fall back to release his groan. "I always wanted to ride in a rodeo. Guess now it's my chance."

John only held on tight as Anna rode them both to their finish. His lips trying to kiss and lavish her breasts. Her hands running over his chest and between them to bring herself to climax again. And, finally, as they held close when they came together, sweating and gasping in the corner of the stall.

"So much for romantic." John muttered and Anna only laughed.


	13. Waking the Dragon

John handled his bags down the stairs, nodding at Mrs. Patmore as he slipped through the kitchen toward the side porch and his car. He barely caught the door from knocking against the frame but missed the whining swing of the screen door. It snapped harshly and John winced at the noise before giving an embarrassed smile at Anna's laugh.

"Trying to sneak out?" She waited at the bottom of the stairs for him, walking alongside as he moved to this rented car to store his things inside. "After a whole week I'd have thought you'd be a little less nervous about getting away from us."

"I stayed here two weeks, Ms. Smith," John held up the requisite number of fingers before closing the rear door of the car. "A week longer than I intended and long enough to send Mr. Murray into paroxysms of panic."

"I thought you were going to fire him." Anna crossed her arms over her chest and leaned sideways on the boot of the car. "Isn't he done for, or something?"

"Doesn't mean he can't still make my life difficult." John sighed, looking back over the house. "Regardless, this place is safe and that's what matters."

"It does." Anna sighed, "I'll miss you, John."

"You will?"

"Of course I will." Anna shoved at his shoulder. "Will you miss me?"

"I miss you when you're out of the room." John bit at his lip, "I hope that didn't sound too needy."

"A little needy but nothing I mind." Anna paused, "I do hope you'll be kind enough to drop me a line, when you get where you're going."

"Why's that?"

"Else I'll worry." Anna smiled at him, "And there's a lot here that needs my worry. I'd like to focus on that instead of worrying about you."

"Because you don't want to think about me?"

"Because I don't want to worry about you." Anna shuffled, "I'm not your mother and I don't pretend to me."

"She worried about me enough for the both of you." John looked out over the property. "I guess you'll just have to give me a tour of the glamping cabins on my next visit. Since we didn't get out there this time."

"Guess I will." Anna extended her hand to him. "Travel safely John. Because I do want you back here."

"Soon as I can, I will."

"I'd hope so." Anna took her hand back. "I don't think I could doubt you."

"You seem very sure about that."

"Well," Anna flexed her jaw, sauntering a step closer to him so John lowered his head to listen to her whisper. "I've got a nice ass and I'm not sure you've had your fill of looking at it yet."

"Or touching it." John agreed, pulling his head back to see the glint of mischief in Anna's eyes. "But I wasn't just thinking about your ass."

"I think you were."

"If I were, and not saying I was, how could I not?" John gestured to her, "Once you said it, all I could think about was that time-"

"Okay." Anna put a hand over his mouth. "Private thoughts in private moments and private places, yeah?"

"Absolutely." John kissed her palm, peeling her hand away from his jaw. "But you're the one who mentioned your ass."

"Don't you have a plane to catch or something."

"I'm still on time." John smiled at her but his smile faltered a bit as he looked down the drive. "You expecting anyone?"

"No." Anna frowned with him, watching the dust cloud moving toward them. "First reservations don't fill until tomorrow morning."

"Then who's this?"

"I don't-" Anna's face twisted into a scowl as the same expensive car from the night at the restaurant skidded over the gravel and parked diagonally to block any hope of John driving away. "Perfect."

Before John could even clarify what he suspected, the door opened and slammed shut on the ridiculously expensive car. Before them stood Green, in a suit as proportionally expensive as the car, and his face held an ugly glare. The three of them formed an odd triangle for a moment, with Green's focus flitting from Anna to John and back as his eyes held a kind of wild ferocity. It took another moment of tense silence before he stepped toward John with a finger jabbing toward the larger man's chest and a hint of a snarl to his voice.

"Where the hell do you get off?"

"Excuse me?"

"I said," Green was almost in John's face. "Where the hell do you get off?"

"I'm sorry but I don't-"

"If you're about to say you 'don't understand' then let me spell it out loud and clear for you." Green took a step back. "You refused my offer to take this miserable piece of shit off your hands and then had the nerve to take my girlfriend to the hospital. Do you realize what that did to me?"

"I didn't think it had anything to do with you."

"She was my date, dickhead."

"You didn't seem all that fussed at dinner so I doubt you're here to inquire after her welfare or whether or not she recovered." Anna muttered, her arms crossing her chest before Green whirled on her.

"The grownups are talking so why don't you go and do something useless, yeah?" Green turned back to John. "Do you realize what you did?"

"I helped a woman get the medical attention she needed so she didn't suffocate and die in a public restroom _after_ I refused your ridiculous offer to buy this place for a pittance." John shook his head, "Tell me which part of that confuses you and I'll try to use smaller words to explain it again."

Green almost purpled at John's comment. "Do you think this is over?"

"Seeing as I'm not in business with you and you're not invited here, I'd say you're trespassing and, unless you want to attempt legal action, this is over." John went to move but Green stepped in his path. "I've got no beef with you, Mr. Green, but if you don't move then we'll have a problem."

"We've already got a problem." Green straightened. "This place is a hole and you know it. You'll spend more money on it than it'll ever earn."

"Then your agent didn't do his job." John turned to Anna. "Would you like to correct Mr. Green's oversight?"

Anna shrugged, "I'm sure whatever brought him all this way isn't going to be deterred by the numbers I could run for him."

"He probably wouldn't believe them anyway." John turned back to Green, "What is it that you want, Mr. Green?"

"I want you to sign over this shit pile."

"What business school did you attend?"

Green blinked at him, "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"It might explain who taught you how to properly conduct business because intimidation and threats and foul language aren't the way to go."

"Oh," Green scoffed, "You think you're better than me?"

"No, I think you're going about business the wrong way so I'll be very clear when I say this, Mr. Green, so you don't misunderstand." John straightened his tie. "I've no interest in selling you this land. Not now and I doubt ever. There's not a price you could put on it with your drone surveillance or your covert inspections that'll have me convinced you know the first thing about what this place is or what it can do or how it'll grow."

John shook his head, "You don't understand the land, Mr. Green. And even if you thought you did I doubt you'd listen to what it has to say."

"Have you been smoking whatever special weeds they've got over at the Reservation?" Green snorted a laugh. "It's dirt and it's only potential is to make money. Money it can make you now or lose you later."

"I trust my investments, Mr. Green, and I've chosen to invest here." John nodded toward Anna. "And I've left my investment in good hands."

"Her hands?" Green almost spit. "What, did she wrap them around your dick and that convinced you she might know how to work a computer?"

"I'd watch what you say." John leaned down to Green. "If you say another word, I'll put those perfect teeth through the back of your head."

"What, is that supposed to scare me?" Green shook his head, "I doubt she even had to do more than crook her finger and spread her legs so you-"

John's curled knuckles impacted straight on with Green's nose. The bone buckled slightly and snapped with a crunch as Green stumbled back onto his ass on the gravel. A gush of red ran down his face as John stepped back, shaking out his hand while Green's covered his nose.

"I warned you." John reached into his pocket and flicked his handkerchief at Green. "Now get in your car and go before I do something else to drive a trespasser off my property."

"You think this is over?" Green's words slurred slightly as he covered his nose and tried to wipe at the blood on his face with the other end of the handkerchief. "You think this solves it?"

"I think if you make another comment or stick around here any longer I'll dump your ass in the boot of your car and drive it into a ditch to leave you there for someone else to find." John pointed down the drive with his right hand, his left hand throbbing from the impact with Green's face. "So get in your car and get yourself gone. It's your final warning."

Green risked one last glare, a bit undercut by the handkerchief still pressed to his nose, but he flung it at John's feet. The weight of the blood gave it some power but mostly the fabric just flopped miserably to the gravel. No one said a word as Green's shoes crunched the rocks between them and finally his car door slammed to signal his departure. A departure as entitled as his arrival with a spin of tires and a cloud of dust that John coughed away.

He turned to Anna and met both of her hands shoving firmly against his chest. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"About which part?"

"About antagonizing that bastard?" Anna folded her arms over her chest. "He's got good relationships with all the people in town you might've run to when you filed the inevitable compliant about his lying ass."

"So which part of what happened upset you?" John paused, "It wasn't me punching him in the teeth was it? Because I warned him-"

"You punched him in the nose, idiot." Anna calmed slightly, "And I didn't mind watching him hit the ground on his ass with his arms akimbo."

"Akimbo?"

"Yes, I read." Anna sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "You should've let him spout and whine and then placated him before telling him to shove it through a lawyer or a solicitor or someone other than your mouth."

"You think he'd just shrivel up and roll away if I did that?"

"I think he'd find it harder to fight you if he didn't have a face to go with your name and a reason to hate you." Anna rubbed at her eyes, growling a second before dropping her hands to her hips. "It's fine. We've weathered him before and we'll do it now. It's no different."

"He already knew who I was."

"And that means he's going to come after this place harder."

"That's what I don't get." John motioned to the land around them. "What's he got for this place?"

"How'd you mean?"

"I like it but he doesn't strike me as the nature-type. And after seeing how he butchered the land he stole from the Gillinghams it does have me curious what's got his knickers in a twist about this place."

"Maybe it's just so he can ruin everything good in this area and put his stamp on the smoldering remains." Anna shook her head, "He's a dick."

"I don't disagree but he's not stupid either." John held up a finger to stop Anna. "Credit where credit is due. We're not battling an imbecile."

"No, just someone who's got a massive boner for this place and now an even bigger grudge for that chip you just put on his shoulder."

John risked a little grin, "I thought you said I got him in the nose."

"He might've had his ass handed to him but I'll warn you, I can play with the best of them if you want to try and fight me."

"Nope." John raised his hands in surrender. "I know when and where to pick my battles and I know better than to fight someone on their home turf."

"Good." Anna rubbed over her arms before shoving her hands into her back pockets. "Not the kind of 'goodbye' I was hoping to give you."

"The stable's just there."

"No," Anna swatted down John's pointing finger and they grinned at one another. "I didn't mean like that."

"Alright then, don't treat it as goodbye." John shrugged. "Once it turns to July, and things are a little slower here, you hop on a plane for an all-expenses paid trip to Ireland with your own private tour guide."

"Sounds a little like flattery." Anna narrowed her eyes, "Or bribery."

"Or just a man doing his best to try and impress a woman he would really love to see again." John leaned over to her, their noses almost touching. "But this time, I'll have homefield advantage."

"I wouldn't mind you trying to take advantage." Anna shivered, "The idea of a strong, confident you is a rather heady suggestion."

"Then take me up on it." John slid his leg back and dramatically moved away from her before they could kiss. "But it's your choice."

"Ball's in my court is it?"

"I've never really been a fan of basketball." John opened the door to the car. "And if I don't go, I'll be late and miss my flight."

"What a shame that would be." Anna closed the distance between them. "Mind if I take one for the road?"

John's eyes darted toward the house. "You're not worried about anyone peeking out the windows, ready to flick the lights and say they're watching?"

"They're all busy and, even if they weren't, they wouldn't take this from me." Anna tilted her head just enough that John closed the distance. The kiss was brief, sweet, and promising as Anna pulled away first. "Have a safe trip back John."

"I will." John paused, "Because you'll worry otherwise, right?"

"Of course I'll worry."

"Well," John folded himself into the car, looking up at Anna as his hand went to the door. "We can't have that now can we?"

She moved out of the way as John maneuvered the car out of its space and down the gravel drive. The GPS squawked to life and John had to force himself to look forward instead of behind, where Anna waved to him in the sight of his rearview mirror. But as he rounded a bend in the drive, she was gone.

The flights back left him jetlagged and irritable but John pushed all that aside. It was almost instinctual after the months he spent in a crippling divorce process. But as he entered his office in a suit he barely pressed before he arrived and feeling the weight of multiple time zones, John had to blink himself out of the dream. The dream he unconsciously lived for two weeks on a bit of paradise.

Meetings, calls, lunches, scheduled events, and even a personal trainer his well-meaning assistant insisted he use crowded John's day with monotony and mindless activities that served as adequate distractors. Things to take his mind from the relaxing environment of the rustic lodge his mother built in Alberta. But whenever he strayed too far into that dream or lingered too long over a text or email from Anna, John forced himself back to reality. Back to the people still depending on him to run a company that paid for the dream.

And in the shuffle-step his process enabled him to engage, John made it through the end of May and the entire month of June. Before he could dare himself to hope a little more, July dawned and the emails and texts exchanged dates and times and tickets and airlines until he almost bounced from foot-to-foot at the arrivals gate. The older woman next to him took a quick study before nodding with attempted understanding.

"I'm sure she's just as happy to see you."

"What?"

"Or him," Her hands went up. "I'm no one's judge."

"No, ma'am, I'm-"

"Obviously very busy with this conversation." Anna's voice cut through his floundering stutter and John pivoted to see her. "It'd be rude to interrupt what I'm betting was a fascinating discussion."

"Anna, you…" John went to hug her but stopped himself, shuffling for a moment before extending his hand. "It's great to see you."

"Did you win over all the other girls you attempted to date with this 'I'm too adorably dorky for my own good act' because I'm buying it." Anna took his hand, shaking firmly and forcing a serious face that immediately allowed John to loosen the tension in his body. "It's very cute, by the way."

"I feel like a fool."

"We're all fools in love, I believe Ms. Austen said." Anna rolled her bag forward, "And I think you're about as infatuated as anyone I've seen."

"Does that put you off?"

"Why would that put me off?"

"I don't know." John shrugged, ducking his head as Anna took his hand with her free one. "I guess I assumed-"

"That I'm some kind of tough-as-nails badass without feelings who just wants to bone and roam?"

"When you put it like that I can't see why that's a horrible option."

Anna laughed, her fingers intertwining with John's. "I think Henry gave you the wrong idea about me."

"So it's _Henry_ now and not Talbot?" John nodded and narrowly dodged the light punch Anna aimed at his arm.

" _Henry_ can be a pain in the ass." Anna rolled her shoulders as John led them into the parking garage and to the lift to get to his car. "And one of those things that's a pain in my ass is how he paints me like I'm a devil-may-care kind of person who just shags her way through men like tissue paper."

"I'll assume, by your tone, that's not true."

"Henry's just trying to protect me from people like Green." Anna leaned back against the wall of the lift as John pushed the button for their floor. "He warned me about Green and I didn't listen, like an idiot. I paid the price for that and Henry was the one who found me on the road."

"So he holds it over your head by chasing away men?"

"Weeding them out more like." Anna shrugged, "He likes you though. You didn't fall for his bullshit and you called him on it. More than that, he likes the way you like the place. Says you're a person of the land."

"What's that mean?"

"I dunno."

"You dunno?"

"I've got my theories."

"Which are?"

"I think it's something shallowly deep that he uses in this affect he does when he's trying to sound like a shaman or some wise counselor." Anna followed John out of the lift and through the zigzag of cars to his. "Naïve white people lap that stuff up because they believe that since the First Peoples were there first then they're wiser than we are."

"You don't believe that?"

"I once saw Henry try to jump a fence and break his coccyx. I've got no respect for him being wiser because he's half Blackfoot. Besides," Anna folded into the car after John opened the door for her, storing her luggage in the boot. "Wisdom isn't bred, it's learned."

"Then," John got into the car as well, "Where do you want to go first?"

"I dunno." Anna turned to John. "Surprise me."

"Okay then." John thought a second before nodding, "I've got the perfect place. If you're not too tired."

"An almost salacious suggestion?"

"There's a chance for it."

"Then," Anna swept her hand forward, "Lead on Mr. Bates."

"My pleasure."


	14. What We Do in the Morning

"I'll be honest," Anna let her bags drop near the door. "I didn't expect you to show me your office. You don't strike me as the gloating type."

"I'm not here to gloat," John raised a finger and walked over to his desk. "I'm here to show you something else."

"Like the view?" Anna walked to the windows, leaning on the sill to look down. "What a gorgeous sampling of Dublin."

"I've always thought so." John joined her, hands in his pockets. "It's always felt a bit more… Intimate than London. More cozy."

"Like a home instead of a house?"

"Exactly."

Anna gave a sigh to match the small smile she let slip before turning to John. "I assume you wanted to show me something other than the view."

"Yes, over here." John led her to the desk. "I've had this drawn up and checked a couple dozen times so I hope it's up to snuff."

"I do hope you're about to show me your private drawings of me."

John coughed, "Not as yet. I don't draw."

"Shame." Anna came around the desk, leaning her palms on the edge of it to look down. "Okay… I see a lot of legal words here that I'd rather have you explain than bore myself to death reading."

"It's…" John cleared his throat. "It's a proposal. One I hope you'll approve of once I explain it."

"I hope you will." Anna took John's chair, resting her elbows on the arms of the chair to tap into the drama of setting her fingers together and resting them against her lips. "Are you ready Mr. Bates?"

"I had a lawyer draw this up because I want to… I want to sell you Greener Pastures and these papers give it to you."

Anna blinked at him, "Do you know how expensive that would be?"

"If I was selling it to you at market value, yes, but this is a… slightly different kind of sale."

"What," Anna raised an eyebrow, "Are you planning on taking the value in sexual appeal because, you might not be able to afford me."

"I can't afford you anyway." John tapped the papers, sitting on the edge of the desk. "But this isn't an outright sale. It's more that you're going to be the face of Greener Pastures and I'm moving toward a silent partner position."

"You're going to be a silent partner?"

John nodded, "You've told me that Greener Pastures pays for itself. That it's self-sustaining and therefore doesn't really need me. Therefore, you run it and you own it so you can make the decisions you think are best for that place without having to ask me a single thing."

"You're serious?"

"Absolutely." John nodded, folding his hands over one another. "It's your Anna. The moment you sign those papers it's yours. To run, to fix-up, to change, to expand, to adapt, to… To make in your image."

Anna was silent a moment, "Why?"

"Because you're the one to do it." John took a breath, "You're in the perfect position to see my mother's memory made real and I'd be remiss if I didn't pick up on that and act on it."

"And you want me to be the one acting in her memory?" Anna leaned back in John's chair, twisting it for a second before continuing. "We both know, John, that I only knew a part of your mother. I knew a version of your mother, not all of her. Isn't it a bit of a lie to say I could hope to represent her memory?"

"I do understand that but the version of my mother I want Greener Pastures to represent that version of her."

"Is that true to her memory?"

John shrugged, "It's true to the memory she'd have wanted preserved. Otherwise she wouldn't have told me about it. The other parts of her memory… That's for me to keep for myself."

Anna tapped her fingers before dropping them, nodding at him. "Well, I can't possibly disagree with the chance to preserve the kind of memory I appreciated in the spirit of a place I love."

"Then you should sign the papers."

"I should read them first." Anna turned the chair to the desk, "And I was so hoping to avoid having to dig through all the legal-ese of this."

"I made sure they didn't make it too dense." John shuddered, pushing himself off the desk. "I don't believe in pages that have to be mined through with a pickaxe and another solicitor."

"Very kind of you." Anna crossed her arms on the desk, reading through the pages, turning them slowly as she finished. "And you're right, this is considerably easier to understand than other legal papers I've had to read before."

"I did the best I could." John moved away from the desk, staring out at Dublin. "How long are you planning on staying?"

"I've got about two weeks." Anna turned over another page, the creak of John's chair having him turn over his shoulder to see him. "Why?"

"Just wanted to know if there'd be time to take you to the Docklands." John jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "The Wheel of Dublin's over there and I think it's been a bit since I actually enjoyed a Ferris Wheel."

"You're a fan of heights?"

"I'm trying to become a fan of fun again." John shoved his hands into his trousers and walked back to the desk. "It's been a bit since I actually had fun to enjoy and I think my way of preserving my mother's memory is to try and have a bit more fun."

"Well," Anna pulled a pen from his desk and signed her name on the final page before stacking the papers together and lay them to the side. "I think I'm all for the idea of you having more fun and I've officially accepted the terms of this… agreement? Is there a way to properly refer to this?"

"Contract." John leaned over, signed his name, and handed them to Anna. "For you to take with you."

"A copy for me?" Anna put a hand on her chest, dramatically sighing. "How kind of you to leave me one."

"That's the only copy." John pointed. "When you're satisfied, send it back."

"You're serious?" Anna held up the pages, "This is a big thing John. An investment… This represents more money than I've seen in my entire life and you're just going to hand it over without another thought?"

"I've thought a lot about it." John stood in front of the desk as Anna leaned over it. "I've spent the last two months thinking about this. It's not just off the cuff for me to make this decision."

"But your…" Anna dropped the papers, "You're taking a huge risk with this."

"I disagree." John leaned over the desk toward Anna, "I think you'll handle it all spectacularly and make it the kind of place my mother wanted it to be."

Anna took a breath and then dropped the papers on the desk. "I think you're the kind of person who trusts with all his heart."

"Is that a dig?"

"No." Anna shook her head, pushing herself out of the chair. "I think it's actually one of the most noble things a person could be. To risk that level of vulnerability is something to be admired."

"Do you admire it?"

Anna leaned over the desk, almost meeting John there. "What do you think?"

"I think I want to offer this entire empty building as a chance to be a bit more vulnerable." John nodded his head back toward the sofas. "If you're open to the idea of helping me better use those sofas."

"How many people have to sit on those sofas?" Anna narrowed her eyes, moving around the desk away from John to trace her fingers along the back of the closest sofa. "I'd hate to ruin a future business meeting."

"I wouldn't worry about it." John took a few steps toward Anna but she subtly stepped away from him to inspect the facing sofa. "I'll make sure they're clean."

"Will you?" Anna paused, slipping her hands to lean slightly on the back of the other sofa. "I'd hate to put anyone in an awkward position."

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Well," Anna circled to the front of the sofa and sat down, spreading her arms to the side and crossing her legs. "I guess I'll now have to ask how, exactly, you want to use these sofas."

"If you're tired from your flight, sleep on them." John took the sofa opposite her, mimicking her pose. "Or, if you're feeling a bit more ambitious, we could do other things on them."

"Are we nine and nervous about our parents finding out we know what the word 'sex' means?" Anna grinned at him. "Because you can use the word."

"Okay." John made a show of clearing his throat. "I'd like to have sex with you on these sofas. Doesn't matter which one."

"Power fantasy?" Anna pointed to the office around them. "Show me the entirety of your domain and then establish dominance?"

"I was thinking more of a chance to show your mine since you were already so gracious as to show me yours." John leaned back into the cushions. "A chance to even the odds, as it were."

"What odds could you possibly need to even?"

"I saw you, in your environment, and now I want you to see me in mine."

"The wealthy publisher?"

"I own a management firm, technically speaking."

"But I noticed the name on this building and it says something to me that you chose to put your office in your publishing firm." Anna crossed her arms over her chest. "This was your first business, wasn't it?"

John smiled, "You're a sharp one."

"I doubt you would've just accepted my signature on those papers I left on your desk if you didn't already get that."

"It's true." John let his neck lean back a second before sighing. "It was my dream. A dream I thought Vera wanted with me but she just wanted the money. She wanted the power and attention and…"

"And you lost the spirit for it all, didn't you?"

"I did. I lost what I loved about what I did. And, when it all got dark for me, I moved my offices here to try and remember."

"Did it help?"

"It did sparked what I knew was buried deep. Recovered a bit of what I lost, I think, but it's all still coming back. Slowly but surely."

Anna tipped herself to the edge of the sofa and frowned as she looked around the office again. "Why don't you have any examples of the works you've published?"

"I don't believe in living in the past. Not when there's something ahead to do and be. Basking in old glories only blinds you to future opportunities."

"I don't think I've ever met a man with more layers." Anna closed the distance between them, straddling John's legs on the sofa. "And I'll enjoy peeling them all away until I find the last doll."

"I don't remember being Russian."

"Well," Anna shrugged, her fingers tugging at John's tie before prying the buttons on his shirt apart. "We're all Nesting Dolls in one way or another."

"What's at the center of your Nesting Doll?" John's fingers played with the hem of Anna's shirt, lifting it to run his hands over her back and shifting in sweeping patterns until his thumbs brushed the underside of her bra. "What would I find if I popped all the layers apart?"

"I'm not sure." Anna's hands moved to John's face. "Maybe we'll find out together and then see what we make of what we discover there."

"I'm sure I'll like what I find." John paused, their mouths only a sliver of air apart. "I'm not sure if you will."

"I'm sure that I wouldn't mind whatever I found out about you." Anna's finger traced down John's jaw. "It wouldn't change my opinion of you one bit."

"Not even a little?"

"Not at all." Anna closed the distance between their lips.

They moved slowly, their motions unhurried in the quiet of the office, undisturbed by man or machine. Nothing quickened their movements as they removed their clothing. Even the awkward catch of an elbow in a sleeve or the odd twists and bends required to maneuver out of shirts and trousers did nothing but elicit giggles and a chance to kiss at skin left exposed by the unsuspecting party.

And when they dangle of castoffs formed an almost human-sized pile on the opposing sofa, John let his hands smooth over the skin of Anna's back before holding just behind her shoulders to bring their mouths together again. She sank into him, her fingers holding at his neck before sliding lower toward his shoulders as her head tipped sideways to slant her mouth so their tongues could tangle while their hands continued their dedicated exploration of one another.

John pulled away, applying his lips and focus to Anna's jaw and neck as she ran her hands over his chest and moved closer to him. Their chests compressed and John growled into Anna's mouth when her hips ground against him. One of his hands snaked between their bodies to caress her breasts.

They rocked into one another. Their mouths breaking apart and coming back together between attempts to excite the other before they succumbed. But it took less time than they intended as John's hands slipped from Anna's breasts to between her legs. Her hands held him, digging her fingers into his shoulders, and rolled into the work of John's fingers until Anna came trembling and quivering in John's arms.

It took a moment, Anna settling in John's arms, before they moved again. Before Anna brought their lips together again. Before she slid forward to sheath him in a second. The second where they both gasped and tried to breathe evenly before the tension required them to end the pressing need by moving together. Moving until there was nothing more to do but succumb to the mutual high.

John's head tipped, resting on the back of the sofa, while his hands dragged down Anna's back to settle on her hips. She let her forehead drop to his shoulder, leaning into him as she took in deep breaths. Their chests rose and fell together, the tingle through John only prolonged whenever Anna's nipples rubbed against his.

"Not a bad use for your sofas." Anna laughed into his skin, pressing a kiss to his collarbone before pushing herself back to look at him. Her fingers pressed into his hair as she studied him. "Although we only used the one."

"I can fix that." John shifted his hands under Anna's ass and lifted them in a single motion. He paused, ensuring his footing, and walked them the short distance to the other sofa.

The landing was a little less graceful. They shuffled and John stumbled slightly but landed Anna on the sofa. She clutched at him, giggling as he tried to right himself in the confusion of cushions and tangle of limbs, but finally John brought his head up to kiss Anna soundly on the lips. Her smile remained and then softened until she tipped back, trying to take John with her as she slid sideways to stretch lengthwise over the sofa.

But John refused.

Instead he kissed down her jaw, paying close attention to the hollow where jaw met neck. Each of the dips and curves and lines of her neck received his attention while his hands smoothed over her legs. Legs that parted easily as John continued his path downward while his knees settled into the carpet of his office. For a moment he cursed his shortsighted planning when choosing a functionally durable carpet that almost immediately dug into his knees. But he pushed it away as his mouth settled at Anna's breasts.

She sighed, her fingers digging in his hair, and her voice rose progressively with each stroke of his tongue over her breasts until John's fingers shifted from her legs to between them. His fingers found their familiar placement and John measured his strokes until she tensed. It only took another moment for the clutch of her vaginal walls to bring Anna entirely over the edge.

John waited, watching the flush to her skin settle and her chest rise and fall with her breathing, before moving over her. Anna's eyes met his as John maneuvered over her, his knee almost upsetting them as it slipped between the cushioned to hit the wooden support. He grunted and then groaned as Anna took advantage of his distraction to wrap a hand around him. Whatever beginning reaction he had to seeing her orgasm only increased exponentially at the work of her grip and the dedication of her efforts.

They came together again, faster and with less finesse this time, but with no less passion. Kisses and touches rained between them as they contorted in the tight confines of the sofa to find the places that made the other person moan. And the right combination of affectionate adoration that would ignite the fires in themselves. The combination making them sloppy but no less sensual in their endeavor. One that ended with a swift finish that John used to turn them sideways before his weight landed entirely on Anna.

The quiet that settled as Anna's fingers traced over his back, his own fingers running through her hair, almost forced John to speak but Anna beat him to it. With a smile and a quick kiss she propped her head on her hand with her elbow providing the perfect angle. "So, what else can we do with our morning?"

"I did mention a Ferris Wheel."

"You did." Anna looked around, "Although I think there'd better be a place where I can wash up a bit."

"I've got a private bathroom over there." John lifted himself off the sofa and pointed. "You go first and then I'll take a turn."

"I hope you keep better clothes in there." Anna pointed at him, "Because the ones you were wearing were business attire."

"So?"

"You don't spend much time near fun places do you?" John shook his head and Anna sighed, taking her clothes form him, "Once again I have to take you shopping for clothes."

"I guess the truth had to come out some time." John opened his hands, "I'm completely hopeless in terms of clothing and I'm only using you to spice up my wardrobe. Once I have the full collection this will be over."

"Take care giving me that much power." She leveled a finger at him, moving into the bathroom. "You've no idea what I'll do with it."

"I trust you."

Anna opened her mouth as if to respond but shut it a second later. She smiled as she shook her head and locked the door. John waited, sitting in his pants on the sofas for a moment before taking a wet wipe to them from the stash his secretary kept in her desk. The leather bore a glossy shine when Anna stepped out of the bathroom, her hair piled in a messy bun as she dramatically swept her hands toward the door.

"Your turn, good sir."

"Thank you."

"Just remember," She called after him. "Don't get comfortable in those clothes. They're changing the moment you can get us to a clothing store."

John took his turn to smile and close the door.

And, true to her word, Anna ensured John was bedecked in 'relaxation wear' before they took their walking tour of the Docklands. The rest of John's clothes took up the space in his boot, all folded into paper bags, and Anna almost pushed him away from the car before he could change his mind about them. A thought still on his mind as he pulled at the collar of the shirt she insisted he wear.

"This doesn't…" He checked it over again, taking in the casual wear. "I've not worn anything casual in ages."

"I can tell. And I could tell when you always insisted on a button-down at Greener Pastures." Anna slid her arm through his, pulling herself close as they steered through the light crowds. "But you need to find time to loosen up a little."

"I loosened up more than a little in my office."

"Cad." Anna swatted at his shoulder before laughing with him. "You know what I mean and why it's important."

"I spend most of my days working with professionals."

"What about for fun?"

"Can't say I've got many hobbies that require I get into anything more complicated than some khakis." Anna visibly cringed at that. "Hey, I've got a collection of sportswear, for exercise, but otherwise I'm usually working."

"You do realize how sad that sounds, yes?"

"I do but it's better than finding expensive pastimes only meant to drive me into debt or depression." John let out a breath, "It's why I quit drinking."

"I'm proud of you for that. Whatever habits we turn to vices are better off in the bin, in my opinion."

"Does Anna Smith have any habits that became her vices?"

Anna paused a moment to suck the inside of her cheek before answering. "I used to smoke in Uni. It was a big thing, to relax, and safer than the drugs others were passing around. So I got into it and then went to Alberta and realized I wanted to enjoy the mountain air. Something I couldn't do when I always wanted a fag. That was the hardest thing I've ever done."

"That was?"

Anna nodded. "Moving away from my family wasn't hard because… We're not on great terms. It's part of why I think Maggie and I got on so well. She was the person I wanted in my life and the kind of mother-figure I'd been craving."

"She always told me, growing up, that if she'd had it differently she'd have wanted more kids. A little girl mostly but more than just me. But then my dad died and…" John shrugged, "We don't usually get what we want in life."

"Too true." Anna tugged on his arm. "But I do want a ride on the Wheel of Dublin and since that is within our power to have, I think we should."

"As the lady commands."

They moved into line and managed to snag their own compartment. John took a seat, looking out on the city as they rose into the air. The little compartment rocked slightly as they entered but Anna kept her face pressed to the window to watch it all for a few moments before whistling. "What a way to see the city."

"There's more to see. And, if you've not got anything else planned, we could make a few dates of it."

Anna turned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you planning to woo me, Mr. Bates?"

"I was going to use the term 'court' but I might also settle for 'seduce', if that's a word I can still use."

"Absolutely." Anna closed what little distance there was between them and leaned over, her hands on his knees. "But I might take the first step in seducing you."

"Wasn't me taking you on both of my sofas not me going first?"

"Well, in that case." Anna pushed his legs apart and John barely breathed as she slid the zipper down on his trousers and tugged them far enough down his legs to leave him exposed and his ass flush with the seat. "Let me take my turn."

"I believe in equal rights."

"Good."

Anna lowered her head and John's knocked back against the glass walls of the compartment. The city passed below them but John could not care less. All he could do was massage at Anna's shoulders, attempt to reach at her bra-encased breasts, and then moan when her tongue wrapped around him to suck her way to his head. There she swirled a moment before dipping her tongue into the slit. John bucked in her grip and Anna giggled around him, sending the vibrations over him and only arousing him further.

His fingers moved into her hair in time with the bucking of his hips and all it took was a single tug to pull her lips away from him. Anna darted her tongue out for a final taste before she put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. John tried to occupy himself with the workings of their tongues but with Anna's hand wrapped around his erection all he could do was note the way she thickened him with each determined squeeze and stroke.

She pulled back from the kiss, running her tongue over her lips, and opened her jeans. John dragged her between his legs and helped her move her jeans and knickers out of the way before taking advantage of the awkward position to try and eat her out. When her nails left divots in his shoulder it only took a second to spin her around and land her on his lap with her back to his chest. Anna adjusted her position and John slid deep in a second.

Chest expanding into her back, his breath hot on her shoulder, John held tightly to her hips as he began his movements. Movements Anna encouraged with little whimpers and moans that had John's fingers sliding over her legs to touch her clit in time with their rhythm. A rhythm only helped by the intermittent rocking of their compartment.

There, over the city of Dublin, Anna's muscles clenched and she came. Came and dragged John over the edge with her when she turned her lips to meet his. They kissed sloppily and hard as they rode their orgasms to completion together. Together on top of the world.


	15. About Last Night

John opened his eyes and smiled to himself at the sight of Anna, her leg pulled to her chest, sitting at his desk chair and flipping idly through a book. The calming flip of the pages almost lulled him back to sleep but John fought off the urge and lifted himself up slightly before speaking. "Hey."

Anna blinked at him, smiling as she shifted in the chair. "Hey yourself."

"You're up early."

"And you're sleeping late." Anna brought a mug from the desk to her mouth. "Should I be worried that I'm wearing you out?"

"I am almost twice your age."

"That's ridiculous." Anna put the mug back down. "We're all older than we used to be and we've got to stay aware of it."

"I think you stayed young." John lifted himself so his back was against the headboard. "Did I tell you about the party tonight?"

"I believe you did." Anna moved out of the chair and crawled onto the end of the bed. "It was a little offhanded, like you hoped I'd notice without details, but you did mention it."

"Sorry." John winced. "It's… There's a chance my ex-wife'll be there."

"Because she still owns part of one of your old companies?"

"She's an investor for one of my clients." John let his head tip back to the headboard. "And she's… I say this grudgingly but she's good at it."

"I'm sure spending other people's money is second-nature to her." Anna folded her legs on the bed. "But that's not why you're worried, is it?"

"She doesn't know you're the one who called the cops on her and we've not seen one another since the wake."

"I'm sure she won't even remember me." Anna paused, "But you're still just dancing around whatever is really bothering you."

"Okay." John sat forward. "I'm… I don't want to label what we've got but, as I mentioned, I'm not getting any younger and-"

"Let me stop you right there." Anna held up a hand. "Before you give yourself a heart attack, yeah?"

"If you insist."

"I do." Anna waited until John silenced. "I agree, I don't want to label what we've got because then that means we've got to be adults and recognize that we've got something. That's hard to do but it's necessary and, the truth is, I think we're at the stage where we've got to decide where we're going with this."

"I'll come off as a ridiculously sappy man if I say that I want to take it a long way into the future."

Anna snorted, "From the man claiming he's on death's doorstep?"

"I'm not perfect."

"Never crossed my mind." Anna winked at him. "But you're right. We've got futures to think about. And while the dating pool in my area is… horribly lacking, there is one and I need to keep that in mind."

John winced, "Is this you telling me I'm your side piece?"

"Please never use that phrase again."

"Why, am I too old for it?"

"No, it suggests that my sex life is far more interesting than it is." Anna rolled her shoulders in the oversized shirt that almost went to her knees. "I'm… I'm very into you, John. I don't know if I'd say something like 'love' but it's well beyond 'like' and I would like this event tonight to be something."

"Something more than a tour of Dublin?"

"Much more." Anna reached forward, taking John's hand with hers. "We're both adults and, despite your lovely compliments, I'm also getting older. We've got to make decisions and I'd like to make you one of those decisions."

"As?"

"Saying 'boyfriend' seems so juvenile and if I say 'partner' then it sounds more serious than it is."

"For now, anyway."

"For now, yes." Anna nodded, her fingers moving over John's hand. "Because I'd like to see where this goes. I'd like to think of this being a little more long-term than a spring fling or summer romance."

"Then what are we, officially?"

"Paramours?" Anna shrugged and John laughed. "Hey, it's better than 'shag buddies' and that's the other option."

"Fair." John scooted forward, the sheets crimping and bunching between them as their knees knocked against one another. "And I'd love to be your paramour. Like a secret liaison."

"You're definitely not a secret." Anna put her free hand to John's jaw, grinning as she leaned forward to kiss him. "And I want to stand proudly on your arm tonight. Bedecked in whatever dress you think matches the monkey suit you wear to these kinds of things."

"What if I just wore those cowboy boots you bought me and really played into that Texan angle people sometimes go for?"

"Not that I wouldn't love to see you in those clothes again." Anna put both of her hands to John's chest, "Because I think you're incredibly hot in them."

"Thank you."

"However," Anna raised a finger in front of John's face and he did not miss the chance to kiss at it. "I think we're better off if you look boringly attractive in a proper tuxedo or something."

"I think I've got one or two of those." John pointed toward his wardrobe. "Since you're in the habit of dressing me, why don't you pick one and then we'll find you a dress to match it."

"You're willing to go shopping with me?"

"It'd be rude to send you alone."

"I don't think I've ever had a man willing to go shopping with me."

"After you've taken me shopping twice?" John leaned back to reach his phone and check the time. "I'd be an idiot to offer anything other than my complete support in this."

"Okay." Anna pushed herself off the bed, "Then let me shower and decide which of your two tuxedos is the better option."

"It's a black-tie event so probably not the one covered in rubber ducks."

"Rubber ducks?" Anna moved to the wardrobe. "You're serious?"

"No, I wish." John shrugged as Anna opened the wardrobe and pointed at his options with a disappointed out. "Remember, I had no life and I was no fun before I met you and your expansions to my wardrobe."

"You make me sound like a World of Warcraft option." Anna moved his hangers aside and pulled at one of the suits. "This one. It's got a lovely blue cummerbund to it that'll remind me of all those ridiculous American movies where they get all gussied up for prom."

"Did you just say 'gussied up'?" John leaned over the bed, grabbing for his boxers. "And I think we should go with the black."

"Then how will we ever match?" Anna pouted, "I look best in blue."

"Fine." John raised his hands in surrender. "It's your choice."

"You're giving me a lot of power here."

"As I said," John shrugged, collecting clothes from the floor to toss into his laundry hamper. "I trust you."

Anna paused at the wardrobe, finally pulling out a tuxedo and draping it over the back of the desk chair before facing John. "Why do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Why do you trust me?" Anna folded her arms over her chest as John ran a hand through his hair. "You signed away Greener Pastures to me and then, in your office, said you trusted me. Why?"

"Is this a test?"

"It's a question, John, and I'd like an answer."

John sat on the end of the bed, his fingers loosely interlacing as his elbows rested on his knees, and he took a big breath before letting it out. "I trust you because you took me seriously."

"That's it?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"It's… Odd."

"Not for me." John shook his head and moved his feet to balance on the thin lip of wood that represented the bedframe. "After years of being married to someone who demeaned me, made me feel a fool, made a fool of me, mocked my relationship with my mother, and made my life a living Hell… I was ready for any and all women to immediately dismiss me."

Anna sat down on the desk chair, sideways so as not to disturb the tuxedo still draped over the back of it, and waited. John could only let out another breath. "There I was, dressed completely wrong for it, underprepared for what Greener Pastures was, and out of my element in every way and you… You didn't make me a joke. You took me seriously when you didn't have to."

"I did tease you a bit about your clothes."

"But not… But not to demean me. It wasn't at my expense. It was the circumstance and it was funny." John allowed himself a little smile. "And maybe that's putting too much on you but, for me, it's not enough. It's not enough just to trust you because you've done more for me than anyone in this world has… Excepting my mother."

"That's a large compliment to pay."

"I'll pay it all the same, if you'd like." John paused, finally meeting Anna's eyes. "I'm not an overly emotional man. I keep myself to myself, mostly. But with you… I feel like I could break down into ugly tears in front of you and you'd neither judge me nor try to fix my problem. You'd just be there for me and that's special to me. It's more special than I've felt in a long time."

"Hence your reticence about what to call 'us'?"

"I didn't want to put a name to anything that might make you uncomfortable." John squirmed. "I know I probably feel more about you than you do me, and that's fine, but I do feel a lot more about you than I've got the words to adequately or appropriately express."

"I hate it when the English language fails me." Anna brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them close to her body. "And, being honest, I do take your trust seriously. Seriously enough that… I don't know. I don't have the words o describe how I feel about you either."

"Because it's the word we've all forgotten that exists between 'like' and 'love'?" John suggested and Anna gave him a glare. "You said it."

"I know but it sounds trite when I hear it out loud." Anna rolled her shoulders again, loosening her hold on her knees. "But I do like you, a lot. And if there comes a day when I could use the word 'love' in context with you… I wouldn't be opposed to the suggestion of it."

"Wow." John blinked, "That's… That's a perfect way to stroke a man's ego."

"I'll stroke something else if you give me a chance." Anna dragged her tongue over her lips and John swallowed as his body jerked slightly. "Interested?"

"Very." John ran his hands over his legs as Anna unfolded herself from the chair and came to the end of the bed. "What are you-"

"Shhh." Anna put her finger over John's lips before kissing him. "I think we've talked enough for right now."

John could only nod and then trade kisses with Anna as she used them to back him up over the rumpled sheets while crawling after him. He reclined back, or tried to, but Anna stopped him. Without a word she pushed his back against the headboard and snapped the elastic on his boxers. He raised his hips and Anna slid them out of the way before straddling his legs.

There was nothing to say. And no need to say whatever might come to his mind. John was utterly enthralled watching Anna, in her overlarge shirt, simply inspect him. Her hands dragged over him and paused when his breath hitched. Their eyes met infrequently as she judged his reactions, taking care to watch and study each of them until John could not help but shiver and whimper under her touch.

A touch Anna applied delicately to him as her knees slid backward on the sheets. They caught and the two of them adjusted through the motion with little huffs of frustration at the simplicity of logistics that interrupted romance. But once they settled again, Anna now pressing kisses to John's chest and shoulders, all John could focus on was Anna.

On how her hair fell in a zigzag part that left it tickling over his skin. Or how her fingers, slight and strong, ran callouses over his sensitive skin. Or even the glint in her eye when she sucked on his skin or flicked at his nipple or wrapped her hand around his arousal.

John groaned and moved his hands to grip at the sheet under him, his knuckles edging toward white as Anna winked at him before continuing her kisses down his chest. She reached his hips, lavishing both in kisses, and gave a little sigh of her own when John's fingers moved into her hair. Moved to match the strokes of his fingers with her kisses over the length of him. Kisses the moved to longer swallows and soulful sucks until John almost cried at the pain-tipped pleasure.

Anna drew back then, a satisfied smile edging at the corner of her mouth, and crossed her arms over her chest to drag her shirt off her body. John's hands immediately ran over her skin, following every dip and curve until Anna sighed and relaxed in his arms. Relaxed almost enough to succumb to his gentle pull as he tried to bring her forward.

But she stopped him short. Just short enough to shimmy herself out of her knickers and kick them to the side. John waited, watching as Anna slunk forward and maneuvered to take him in a single stroke.

Then it was Johns turn to surprise her. His fingers found her before Anna could properly lower herself and her fingers dug into the flesh of his shoulders as John managed a satisfied smile of his own at the dampness he found there. A damp he spread over her folds until Anna's nails left their marks in his skin and she shivered in his hold. Shivered and whimpered until John removed his fingers.

He sucked them into his mouth, hoping to try and gain a kind of upper hand, but he groaned around them when Anna seized his distraction to sink down and take him in a single motion. A motion she adjusted in John's shock to seat him as deeply inside her as he could go.

They waited a moment, hands slipping over skin with the faint hint of a tremble to them until they found their preferred holds. Holds that included John's mouth wrapping over Anna's breasts while one of his hands massaged the other. Her fingers found purchase in his hair, mimicking his earlier caresses while her other hand slipped between them to run over her clit in time with John's thrusts.

The bed squeaked slightly but John only noted it in the corner of his mind as Anna's knees dug into the mattress and his sides simultaneously. His other hand cupped her ass when it slid from her hip and dragged Anna impossibly closer as they both sought their ending. But their movements turned sloppy and desperate as their lips joined and separated as quickly as they sought for air. Air that filled their lungs when they finished with mutual moans.

Anna's forehead rested against John's as her fingers eased in his hair and John loosened his hold on her ass while his other hand swept over her back in what he hoped was a calming gesture. One replicated by Anna's slow stroke over his chest, her fingers curling in the hair there. They only pulled apart enough to look at one another before John smiled.

"I hope I'm not overstepping…" He paused, clearing his throat past the dryness there. "But I think we're definitely past 'like'."

"How far past 'like' are you?" Anna's face went blank and John took a deep breath to try and settle his nerves.

"I think it could be more towards lo-"

Anna put a finger over John's lips. "Please don't say that."

"Why not?" John moved her hand away. "You wanted me to tell you."

"I did and, one day, I do. But not… Not yet." Anna slipped back, putting a little distance between them so John saw her ore clearly. "Not like this. Not when we're riding endorphins and hormones and whatever other chemicals in our bodies might be giving us a false positive about this."

"How would you like me to say it?"

"Some time when we're alone, the world is quiet, and it's just us alone with the universe. With only nature as our witness and not…" Anna pointed between them. "Not when we're naked and sweaty and still riding the highs of an orgasm."

"Duly noted." John nodded, "And fair."

"I've not…" Anna reached out a hand but retracted it almost immediately. "I've not offended you, have I?"

"No." John shook his head. "It's not offensive to say you're not ready for it. And you're probably right. I'm choosing a very awkward time to say it."

"Would you mean it, if you did say it now?"

"I think I do but you're right, I'm not exactly in the frame of mind to say it fairly and expect it to be entirely true." John moved off the bed, recovering his boxers for the second time that morning. "Why ruin the fun?"

"John," Anna hurried into her shirt, leaving her knickers on the bed as she stepped in front of him, stopping his move into the bathroom. "What we have is more than 'fun'. I know that. You know that. And I'm…"

She put her fingers through her hair. "I'm mucking all of this up."

"No." John caught her hands, kissing them for a moment to try and calm her. "You're being honest. And I agree. We're having more than fun. But I think we need to be on the same page."

"Are we?"

"I think we are right now." John kissed her forehead. "You're not ready to hear it yet and I need to decide if I'm really ready to say it yet. To open that can of worms and see what wiggles out."

"Nope, you should've quit while you were ahead." Anna scrunched her eyes closed and shuddered as they both laughed. "And you were ahead. Miles ahead of anyone I've ever had even consider uttering those words at me before."

"Then I'll take the compliment there and go get a shower before you steal all of my hot water."

"Or…" Anna let her finger catch in the elastic of John's boxers again. "We could shower together and use all the hot water in one go."

"It might take me a bit more time to rise to the occasion."

"You're worth the wait." Anna walked backward toward the bathroom. "Besides, you've not told me the plan for the dress I need to get for tonight."

"I was thinking some place with a discount rack and something with puffed sleeves from the end of the last century." John ducked Anna's swat and dodged her into the bathroom, turning on the water in his cubicle shower. "You know, just to help you stand out in the crowd."

"Should I get some leg warmers and hairspray to complete the utterly obnoxious impression I'll leave on your co-workers?"

"Would it help?"

"Cheeky monkey." Anna grabbed a hairbrush to tame her hair. "And no."

"Your choice." John checked the water before dropping his boxers to the tile. "Water's ready. We've got maybe fifteen minutes."

"Have you considered a new water heater?" Anna pulled her shirt over her head and joined him, almost filling the space in the tiny cubicle. "Something more like the showers at Greener Pastures?"

"Since I'm probably going to sell this house, more than likely not."

"You're selling this house?" Anna accepted the loofah from John and lathered it with soap. "But it's so cute."

"And old and riddled with problems I mostly ignore and never actually handle." John took the shampoo in his hands and immediately set to scrubbing up his hair and then Anna's. "It was my mother's and I was here, taking care of it, while she moved into her nursing home for better care. All… I think part of me thought she'd get better and just move back here."

"We all hope for that." They pivoted for Anna to rinse her hair and John ignored her yelp when he snagged the loofah from her hands to start rubbing it over her body. "That was mine."

"Purpose is still served." John insisted, taking it to her legs and he bent to soak them with the suds. "And then you can do me."

"How gracious of you." Anna disengaged the shower head and John only had a moment to recover before she caught him right in the face.

"That's not playing fair." John stood, wiping at his face as he handed over the loofah, and crowded Anna into the corner of the shower as he snatched the showerhead from her hands.

"I didn't think we played fair."

"We don't." John aimed the head all over Anna to rinse her off and used the distraction to sneak his fingers between her legs. "If we did, I couldn't do this."

Anna's fingers gripped John's forearm and the loofah as he worked deeper, bringing the scrunch back to her eyes before her vaginal walls tightened around his fingers. With a slight twist to his wrist, the movement forcing him to pause and resettle the showerhead, John put his thumb over Anna's clit. After that it only took a few moments for him to pressed at her clit and crook his fingers against her tight internal muscles at the same time. The shudder that echoed through Anna had her legs quivering against the walls.

This time, when John withdrew his fingers, he managed to suck them clean before Anna could manipulate him further. But when she soaped over him, paying special attention to his rising erection, John's hands flattened against the ridged walls of the shower to keep himself standing. And it was only Anna's tiny act of mercy that did not have him finishing in her hands.

Instead she turned, her hands slipping toward where his still held tightly to the walls, and jutted her ass back into the cradle of his hips. John groaned as it slid her slick skin against his twitching erection and he jerked erratically toward her. One of his hands left the wall, risking the loss of stability, and smoothed over her skin until he reached her ass. It only took a second to maneuver before John drove into Anna. Hard enough that her fingers curled on the shower wall.

The water sputtered and doused them with a shock of cold that almost stopped them. But another sputter gave a stream of tepid water. John angled Anna out of the possible frigid result of their prolonged shower and moved. His hands curled around her, one hand caressing her breasts while the other worked determinedly at her clit and exposed folds. With the water spritzing from tepid toward cold, each jolt lasting longer and longer, they struggled to finish and managed just as a blast of arctic water hit John in the back.

He almost stumbled into Anna but caught himself on the wall of the shower, shivering and gasping as he reached up to turn off the water. They managed it, rinsing themselves thoroughly enough in the process they both shivered as the water finally shut off, and John reached for the towels. Wrapping anna tightly in one and himself in the other they escaped the ice box and slowly regained warmth to their bodies and feeling in their extremities.

"Next time we try that." Anna pointed toward the shower, "You need a better shower or we can only do it at Greener Pastures."

"Noted." John dried himself and nodded at the clock. "How much time do you need for dress shopping and getting ready?"

"When's the party?"

"The hor d'oeuvres are served at six, with the champagne, and then there's a rubber chicken dinner at eight with the option of dancing until midnight."

"Oh, dancing." Anna held up her towel and sashay toward John, adding a little wiggle at the end. "Are you one for dancing?"

"If I've got the right partner." John pointed to the clock again. "How much time do you need?"

"If we leave now, get breakfast so my stomach's a bit more full for the dresses, and then come back by… four, I should have enough time."

"Why does your stomach need to be full?"

"Because if I get a dress that's tight when I'm slim then I won't be able to eat in it." Anna shrugged, brushing out her hair before grabbing her hair dryer. "Fun fact, you should always shoe-shop at the end of the day because then your feet are a little swollen from the day and you'll get a pair of shoes that won't pinch you."

"Good tip." John pointed back toward the bedroom. "I'll get dressed and some breakfast on. Maybe… half an hour?"

"Sure thing." Anna took her hairdryer into the other room, plugging it in before aiming it at her hair. "I'll be done soon, promise."

True to her word, Anna was done soon enough that they were out the door and in the shops in less than an hour. The process required multiple viewings and more than a few different locations before Anna finally found a selection she liked. All the while John just found the nearest chair and waited with his phone turned to the book he casually read as he waited. He only moved when Anna's voice called to him from one of the dressing rooms.

"I've found it."

"Do you want me to see it?"

"I'd rather you waited in the car," Anna stuck her head out of the door. "It'll be a surprise for later that way."

"As you wish." John stood, closing his phone, and stretched. "Let me just get one of the front desk people to get you a bag."

"I'll be right out."

John smiled as she ducked back into the stall and he made his way to the front desk. He paid for the desk, giving them his information for whatever Anna chose to buy, and then exited the store. The book took up his attention in the car again, engrossing him so thoroughly that he jumped high enough to knock his head against the roof of the car when Anna rapped her knuckles on the window.

"Good to go."

They found enough time for a light lunch in town, taking a walk around one of the older neighborhoods to try and diffuse some of the tension trembling in John's fingers, but eventually Anna insisted they go back to his. If only so he could pace while she got ready. And that was exactly what he did, tracing his steps over the sitting room as he stretched his arms in the tuxedo shirt.

The closer time came he took to performing little tasks to distract himself. He tied his bowtie in the hall mirror before pacing the length of the corridor. He traded his cummerbund for a waistcoat and then back to the cummerbund before surrendering to the waistcoat as his final decision. And then took another lap of the house. It was not until Anna called that she was ready from the bathroom that John finally put on his coat and ensured all the little necessities found a place in their respective pockets.

It was then, as he patted at his wallet for the third time, that he looked up to see Anna descend the stairs. Her hair curled out from the half-up position she chose. The makeup accentuated the blue in her eyes and gave her an other-worldly glow. And John finally noticed the dress. All midnight blue with a satin skirt and see-through mesh-like material covering a satin bodice. The whole thing swishing and feeding shamelessly into the image of an angel come down to earth.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and held out the edges of her skirt. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful."

"I did hope you liked it." Anna let the skirt fall. "I was worried you wouldn't and after you went and bought it-"

"Anna," John took her hands, the tremor in his barely subsiding under the calm solidity of hers. "You could wear a burlap sack and I'd still think you were the most beautiful woman in the world."

"You really are shameless, aren't you?"

"Without doubt."

Anna kissed his cheek, "Then come and use that shameless flirt on whomever you're supposed to impress tonight. I'd hate to waste this dress."

"It's not wasted if I appreciate it."

"True but," Anna waited as John opened the door and followed him to the car. "I'd hate to think I came all this way and you'll not show me off."

"And make them all jealous?" John huffed, "How un-gentlemanly."

"I think it's perfect." Anna took his hand and lowered into the car. "And I, personally, can't wait."

The venue was the lobby of John's main publishing building. The entire area maintained the refurbished look of the older buildings of the area, to continue reflecting the older feel to the city, but also blended the modern expressions of class and metal struts in concert with a desire to let natural light cover everything. As John pulled up to the queue of cars he realized it was the perfect place for Anna's dress to catch all the lights and spotlight her for the evening.

When the valet took their car, Anna immediately put herself on John's arm and they ascended the few stairs to the lobby. He greeted the employees and partners he knew, introducing Anna to them as his partner in a private venture without elaborating on the intentions of the project. All the questions about his 'private paradise' deflected well between he and Anna until John excused them to go and greet more of the guests.

It was not until they were about to go into the dining room to face the inevitable chicken dinner, when Vera appeared. John swallowed, the tremor returning to his fingers, and made for his seat with Anna by his side. Her fingers intertwined with his as they sat and nodded at him as he held out the chair for her.

"How remarkable." Vera took the seat opposite them, settling into it as the man with her took a seat at her side, the centerpiece serving only as decoration and not adequate blocking for the inevitable conversation. "Where did you find this one John? I can't imagine the catalogue you used to call her was cheap."

Anna covered John's hand at the table, a raise of her eyebrows matching the tight smile. "I'm sure you'd know all about paying for company, miss, but I'm here as John's guest, not his employee."

"I'd heard, for one of your board, that she's some kind of private investor in a venture." Vera leaned forward, nodding at John. "What's the venture?"

"None of your concern."

"And probably not one of your ideas, since you never had them." Vera tipped to the side to speak to the man there. "John was always good at spotting the talent other people had but he's a defensive thinker. He'll always be a safe investor and therefore second-best because he takes no risks. He doesn't know how to come up with something on his own."

"Safe investments are what built this company." John shrugged, "And the talent I've found and invested in has repaid the risk I took on them."

"Yes but they're small. It's like getting pennies to your pence instead of pence to your pounds." Vera shook her head. "Steady, organic growth is what he believes in. Claims it's sustainable."

"I've found that growth has to be sustainable to be steady and that requires patience." Anna met Vera's eyes, "Something I believe Mr. Bates has more than enough of for the business he does."

"Is that why you're in business with him?" Vera snorted, "Does he pay by the hour or the day?"

"I'm salaried."

"Then he's invested in your interests as well?" Vera let out a snigger, "I never thought John would think to invest in the flesh market but I can see the benefit of it. Men are always in need of the ready and willing."

"I think you'll find that women use it just as much as men. And not always for the men." Anna shrugged, fingering her glass. "But that's none of my concern, is it?"

"I think you're overstepping your bounds." Vera's voice edged and John cleared his throat.

"That's enough."

"I think you forget, John," Vera turned her gaze on him, the hint of a snarl in her voice. "That I'm not your wife anymore. You don't get to order me about."

"Not that it ever really worked when we were married but you're here as the guest of my firm. Therefore our marital status is secondary to your being here for professional reasons." John let the statement hang a moment. "Say another unprofessional thing to Ms. Smith and I'll have you removed. Do you understand?"

Vera's eyebrows rose and she scoffed, "John Bates finally grew himself a spine. Or did they have to grow one in a donor?"

"That's enough, Vera. We're here for business, not to trade barbs."

"Does he speak that way in bed too?" Vera turned to Anna. "Do you find it impressive or does he pay you extra to pretend you think he's the smartest man you've ever met so he doesn't disappoint you sexually?"

"That's enough." John grit his teeth, noting how some of the occupants of other tables pretended not to be hanging onto every word of their conversation. "Lease, now, or I'll have you forcibly removed."

"Threats aren't your style."

"They're promises, Vera, which are my style." John waited, "What's your decision? Stay or go?"

Vera's lips pursed a second. "Do you pay for the dress and the accouterments or are they a part of the package you pre-pay to get?"

John pushed away from the table. "I do hope you're not here by the time security is. I'd hate to have them toss you out on your ass."

He helped Anna from her chair and they left the dining room, reaching the security station in the lobby. Anna stood to the side as John gave his orders and waited for him to reach her. "What now?"

"I…" John let his body sag. "I don't know. I don't want to go back in there and be the subject of everyone's looks."

"Then don't." Anna shrugged, "You're the boss. Do what you want."

"See, people say that but when you're the boss-"

"Blow it off, John." Anna took his hands. "Or at least give it a few minutes to blow over before you go back in there. Let her make a fool of herself with security before you go and present yourself as the calm and cool leader."

"Then you've not noticed how my hands've been shaking all evening?"

"I noticed." Anna smoothed her hands over his. "So come on, let's go to your office for a bit of quiet and then come back."

John followed her to the lifts, taking it up to his level and unlocking his office door to allow them in. But when he went for the lights Anna stopped him. And when John tried to speak she put her finger over his lips.

"No talking."

"You've got a fetish with that." John whispered at her. "Always trying to keep me quiet like you're afraid someone'll hear us."

"No." Anna shook her head, guiding him back toward his desk. "I'm more afraid that we'll make someone jealous."

"How considerate of you." John framed Anna against his desk, taking her face between his hands. "And I'm sorry, for what Vera said downstairs. That was… Beyond unacceptable."

"You think I took offense that she suggested I was a prostitute?"

"Yes."

"John." Anna's hands covered his so she could kiss both of his palms. "Those insults were meant for you, not me."

"I know I just…"

"And this is why you're supposed to be quiet in these games." Anna carefully maneuvered herself onto the edge of the desk to even their faces. "Because if you're speaking then you're doubting yourself. You believe her, don't you?"

"I never said that."

"But you do." Her fingers caressed over his hands, lowering them from her face to sit in her lap. "You think you don't deserve me because you've got a pedestal that you've put me on, for better or worse."

"Why not?" John tried to pull it off as a joke. "You're without fault."

"Far from, John." Anna's thumbs traced the ridges of his knuckles. "I'm just as flawed as anyone and there's no reason why you shouldn't deserve me because there's nothing to deserve."

"Then you're fine dating a divorced, middle-aged, definitely overweight, man with more insecurities than a third-world country's economy?"

"As long as you're fine dating a former smoker who doesn't get on with her family and has a history of poor decision making when it comes to her romantic choices, then yes, I am."

John gave a more real laugh. "The implication that I'm another poor choice in that line isn't exactly what I needed to hear."

"But it's what you're going to hear." Anna let her hands flow up John's jacket before pushing it off his shoulders to toss onto his desk chair. "Because you, John, are the best romantic decision I ever made."

"Even if I add that I'm a former alcoholic to the list?"

"That's not the list that matters to me." Anna framed his jaw with her hands. "The only one that matters to me is the one we're building of all the places and ways we've had sex in this office."

"It's a short list."

"Then help me expand it." Anna taunted and brought their lips together.

John let her lead the kiss so his hands could ruck up her satin skirt to her waist. His hands traced down, trying to tease her with whatever knickers she chose for the evening but John had to break the kiss when he found nothing. Nothing but a garter belt that Anna showed off but reclining back on his desk.

"I thought you might appreciate the ease."

"It'll make this easier." John went to his knees, wishing he started this on the other side of the desk as he dragged Anna to the edge so he could set his mouth to work on her.

His lips molded and sucked at her folds in an echo of the way he kissed her. Fingers and tongue worked to set Anna writhing and moaning above him. And when he finally triggered her climax he did not stop licking and sucking at her until her legs settled around him and only a slight quiver continued through her muscles. Muscles he kissed and caressed until she calmed enough for him to rise.

"Sweet Christmas."

"Santa's a few months away." John put his hands on either side of Anna, leaning over to kiss her until she responded. "But I could act as a surrogate."

"I never wanted to shag Santa on a desk." Anna's legs wrapped around his hips and dragged him closer until his thighs hit the desk. "But I'd like you to finish what you started here."

"My pleasure." John kissed her again, giving over control to her for it as his hands occupied themselves trying to open his trousers and move his boxers out of the way. The tails of his shirt caught for a moment but he pushed them out of the way and aligned them. Then he waited.

Waited until Anna used her grip on the back of his neck and his shoulder and impale herself with him. They trembled around one another, John's hands shaking now for a different reason, before moving. Slow, long strokes that left Anna digging her fingers into his shirt and rumpling it to the point where he would have no choice but to keep his jacket on for the rest of the evening. Then quick, hard drives that knocked their pelvises together and left Anna rubbing against John's pubic bone to the point she keened for another finish. One John granted with a change in angle and a dedication of his fingers to her clit.

He caught himself on the desk, sucking for air as the trickle of sweat moved down his back and matched the beading of it on his forehead. Turning to Anna, they matched kisses and John gave a little smile. "I think I'm wearing more of your lipstick than you are now."

"Maybe." Anna shrugged and they moved off the desk, walking toward the bathroom together. "But I'd like to reapply."

"Did you bring any with you?"

"A lady always does. But…" Anna bit at her bottom lip as John went to shut the bathroom door to give them a measure of privacy. "I want to put it somewhere else first… If you don't mind."

"Where?"

Anna answered with her actions. Her knees went to the floor and John grabbed fruitlessly for something solid. They almost toppled over but he grappled with the edge of sink as Anna's hands ran over his legs and sack so her lips could kiss around his erection before her mouth engulfed him.

She sucked all traces of them away, the suction leaving John seeing spots on the edge of his vision. But even the whitening of his knuckles on the lip of the sink was nothing compared to the way Anna managed to bring him back to life. To thicken and harden him until his body moved of its own accord. Until she threatened to leave him reacting like a teenager on their first outing.

The half-noises that never quite formed words were enough. Enough to bring Anna off the tile floor. Enough to have her taking her place in front of him as John lifted her skirt and stepped behind her. Enough to have their eyes meeting in the mirror over the sink as John sank back inside her. Enough to have them groaning together and moving swiftly for a second, slightly less shattering end.

But it was enough. Enough for them. Enough for the moment.

John wiped them both down, careful not to arouse them further, and stepped back to check over himself. If anyone looked too closely they would know exactly what transpired. The wrinkles in his shirt, those in Anna's skirt, and the general state of their ruffled appearance bore all the hallmarks of two people who snuck away from a party to enjoy the quiet of the offices for a bit of impropriety.

When he mentioned it to Anna, she only shrugged. "Then I guess we'll have to dance long enough that they'll think we wrinkled ourselves getting a little over-ambitious on the dance floor."

"I like that idea." John extended his arm to her. "Ms. Smith, may I ask for this and all dances this evening?"

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't." Anna took his arm, holding herself close. "I don't plan on looking for another partner tonight."

"Good." John cleared his throat, "Because I more than like you."

Anna smiled back at him, "I more than like you too."


	16. Sucker Punch

Brisk winds blew at John, almost snatching his jacket from his body and making him wish he brought a thicker coat. He shivered and squared his shoulders in an attempt to stop the bite of the wind as he closed the distance between his car and the lodge. But he was not even to the porch when Anna appeared from the door, her gloved fingers tugging and stretching the material as if she were trying to hold herself back from acting on an impulse.

"You said you wouldn't be here until next week."

"I finished the merger early." John shivered, "It's blistering here."

"What, too used to the heat of Dublin?" Anna waved him toward her and, the moment he was within distance, she found his hand with hers. "I'm glad you're here. In case you mistook my surprise."

"For a moment I thought you'd run to me or something."

Anna shook her head, "I'd hate to give anyone the wrong impression."

"And what impression, Ms. Smith, is that?" John crowded into Anna, almost pressing her into the wall of the house.

"That we're suffering from impropriety." Anna nodded toward the house, "Come on. Mrs. Patmore's got a soup on that'll warm the bones of you."

"Perfect, I'm frozen already." John pointed back toward his car. "Should I get my things before we get snowed in here?"

"We're not supposed to get snow for at least another month." Anna waved him in. "Come on, or you'll miss our Canadian Thanksgiving."

"Canadians have Thanksgiving?"

"Yes and it's… Interesting." Anna ducked toward the door. "Come on Mr. Bates, there's soup on."

John smiled to himself, working back to his car and opening the boot to retrieve his bags. He barely closed the boot when the crunch of gravel brought his attention to the end of the drive. The cloud of dust there froze John in place until the car stopped, parking neatly next to his.

His shoulders relaxed slightly as the door opened and he recognized the luxuriant hair of Henry Talbot. The man pivoted, shutting the door on his well-worn truck, and nodded at John. "Nice to see you've survived Mr. Bates."

"And you Mr. Talbot." John handled his bags, turning toward the house as Talbot joined him. "How's your photography business?"

"About as always. It's fascinating how people think being indigenous would be progressive but they think the cost of investing in the heritage is more than they'll give." Talbot shrugged, "It's not something that pays enough bills. It covers a few nice things but most of my work is in prospecting and surveying."

"Like the work you did for Anna and, previously, with Mr. Green?"

"It's a living." Talbot walked with John to the door. "Only the wealthy get to do what they love for a true living and then it becomes their cage. I'd rather my hobbies stay my hobbies."

"Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like with a few more hobbies." John sighed, "I don't know if reading still counts as one."

"I think it's still a valid hobby and one my mother wishes I did more."

"Your mother's a big reader?"

"She always wished I read more in school, to get better marks and into a better university but…" Talbot reached around John to pull the door open. "I was more interested in driving cars."

"You drive cars?"

"I used to race them. But street racing's not exactly a thing you can do out here so we'd drift. And I… Got into an accident that killed a friend of mine." Talbot paused in the corridor, "I've not raced in a car with a powerful engine since."

John did not respond. They stayed in place in the corridor, one of his hands still wrapped around his roller bag while the other flexed around the handle to his briefcase, until Talbot finally cleared his throat. The cue to end their tableau as Talbot jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "I'll go check… I've got…"

"Yes, of course." John nodded him away and watched as Talbot disappeared into the study. A sight that kept him engaged long enough to jump when Anna put her hand on his arm.

"You alright there?"

"I…" John let out a long breath. "I honestly have no idea."

"Did something happen in the five minutes since I left you?"

"Talbot just…"

"Oh." Anna leaned back, her arms folding and then separating to put her hands into her pockets. "He told you about Charlie, didn't he?"

"Charlie?"

"Drift racing?"

"Yes." John nodded and handled his roller bag, steering it toward the stairs as Anna joined him on the climb toward his room. "It was… I wasn't expecting it."

"It comes up in odd conversation every now and then." Anna shrugged, "It's… It's how he deals with the trauma of it, I think."

"Did you know, Charlie?"

"No." Anna sputtered, "That was long before my time. He was already working in the area as a surveyor when I got here. And Charlie… He died when Henry was twenty-one."

"What…" John carefully closed the door to his room and lowered his voice. "What happened?"

"Henry told you about drift racing, yes?"

"Yeah but I've only got a vague idea as to what that means."

"Normal race car driving, stock or formula, are track races. You've got a certain number of laps at speed and people to beat. Drifting racing is… It's a bit more _Fast and Furious_ without the muscley nature to it."

"So no nitrous oxide tanks or anything?"

"They've got them but it's not street racing. You're not trying to show off your hydraulics and impress your friends. These are serious driving challenges on one-lane roads in frightening conditions." Anna shuddered, "At least one kid from the local school dies every year trying to compete in one of those and slides right off a mountain side."

"You're serious?"

Anna nodded. "Henry, from what little he's told me, was good."

"How good?"

"That man would work a clutch, e-brake, and a car the way other people eat. It was like breathing for him and natural. He understood how the car worked, what it wanted, and how far he could push it in a way I've only begun to scratch the surface of with horses." Anna sat on the edge of John's bed as he tried to occupy his hands with the mechanical function of putting away his things. "And then he tried to show off. He raced a little too fast around a curve, lost control of the car, and it flipped. Flipped them down a mountain and while he got away with a year or two of physical therapy and some reconstructive surgery, his friend Charlie never left the car breathing again."

"That's horrible."

"It's… It's a scarring incident. Something Henry'll never be over. Every year, around this time although he's never told me the exact day, he gets like this. Very contemplative and withdrawn. He'll not drive anything with more than six cylinders and won't get into a sports car. He depends on large vehicles only used for racing in post-apocalyptic movies."

"Wow." John sat on the bed near Anna. "It just came out of nowhere. Is that something else he does?"

"Yes and no. It took a few years for me to tell me and I've still not got the whole story. But it comes in bits and pieces." Anna nudged John, "What'd you ask him about?"

"How his photography was going. He'd mentioned that was his passion."

"It was. And he even thought about a degree for it but University wasn't for him." Anna let out a breath, "Maybe if he'd managed to get a little further away then he wouldn't be so close to home."

"That was the other thing. I mentioned reading being a hobby of mine and he said his mother wished he'd read more to get into a better school."

"And there's the other side of it." Anna pushed off the bed. "His mother didn't want him to live on the Reservation. Thought getting good grades, a good job, and getting as far away as he could manage would save him from the fate of so many of his tribal brothers."

"I don't-"

"Reservations have a… A lifestyle. One that leads to high drug usage, high crime and incarceration rates among tribal men, the highest murder and rape rates for tribal women, highest unsolved for both of those as well, and the highest number of unmarried pregnancies." Anna pushed her hands into her pockets. "Someone born on the reservation, if they're a woman, if more likely to be raped or murdered than finish school. And that's regular school. And don't get me started on obesity rates and other medical issues like diabetes."

John blinked at her. "So…"

"So that's why Henry, Bertie, and I were really pushing to get the Gillingham spread six months ago." Anna sighed, as if a weight lifted from her shoulders. "There's a chance to inform the world as to the heritage of Henry's tribe but also a chance to show those living in a bleak environment that there are other options available to them. That there's more to life than… life."

"For as defeated as that statement sounded at the end, it was still strong."

"You're a good liar, Mr. Bates, but still a liar." Anna allowed a smile and accepted John's hand when he stood to stand with her. "It's… It's just hard."

"Being Henry's friend or-"

"Accepting that there are things we can't change."

John let out a bark of a laugh. "You've never done the twelve-step program I take it."

"I didn't need it, why?"

"Because it's the prayer I recited for years in all those meetings as I tried to get my life together." John let his thumb play over Anna's knuckles. " _God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference._ "

"That's beautiful."

"And sustaining." John bit at the inside of his cheek. "I don't know Talbot. I barely have four things I could say about him that aren't compliments for the lovely hair he's growing out to an absurdly amazing length. And I can't say one way or the other how he's supposed to feel about anything. All I know is that you're doing the best you can."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you never half-ass anything." John winked at her. "And I've taken many a look at your glorious ass so I'd say I know, from experience, that you whole-ass everything you do."

"Nice to know that you found something positive to say about my ass."

"I could say a lot more about it." John shrugged up a shoulder, "More than the four things I'd say about Talbot's hair."

"I'm flattered by that," Anna stepped away from him. "And the idea that you've endless possible compliments for my ass, but Mrs. Patmore does have soup ready and if we get too busy in here it'll be a guaranteed signal that we're dating."

"So we're using that term?"

"We established, over three months ago," Anna led John toward the door, "That we're, in your words, 'paramours' so yes, we're dating."

"I just wanted to be sure." John shrugged, "You never know when terminology isn't set."

"I'm sure that I wouldn't do what I did over Skype and email with someone I wasn't dating." Anna winked at John's hard swallow. "I mean, whipping cream from a can isn't the most romantic but I've never worn just condiments in my life."

"Then," John forced another swallow. "To avoid saying 'sod all' and taking you back to my bedroom where everyone on this property'll know exactly what our relationship status is, what's the news about this place… Professionally?"

"Well, silent partner, I've kept it silent that I own the place." Anna paused at the top of the stairs. "You're a very convenient distraction since everyone can blame you if decisions go against them."

"Very convenient for me when I'm not here." John put his foot out, as if to go down the stairs, but Anna stopped him. "What?"

"It's been… More convenient giving the quiet buying we've been doing." Anna peeked over his shoulder and then motioned for him to follow her into the library, filled with second-hand and forgotten books. She shut the doors and faced him, lowering her voice the way John did earlier in his room. "Green's not been happy with how you broke his nose and left him… The worse off, when you were here six months ago."

"Should I feel bad?"

"No but you should be wary." Anna flexed her jaw, one of her hands rubbing over the opposite arm. "What I'm about to tell you isn't because I'm scared but because you deserve to know what you might be facing during your stay here."

"What?"

"What we did, with Ethel, backfired on him in a bad way. It wasn't just an inconvenience. It launched an investigation where a number of women came forward about what happened when they were with him. The police found drugs in his car and residence and it wasn't something just handled with some community service either. Other people jumped on the bandwagon and decided it was best to kick him while he was down."

"So?"

"So he's in financial trouble. The bad press alone ruined his summer season for him and…" Anna let out a breath, "At the risk of offending PETA, he's foaming at the mouth worse than any rabid dog that's ever been put down."

"And he's looking for someone to bite back for it?"

"In a big way."

John frowned, "Has he… Has he hurt you?"

"No," Anna shook her head and pointed below them. "Henry wouldn't let him and as much as Green's unaware of the work Henry does for me, he's not unaware of the friendship Henry and I have."

"He's afraid of Henry?"

"As stereotypic and cliched as what I'm about to say sounds, Henry's an expert in killing something without a sound and making sure you never find it."

"Like those rabid dogs you mentioned?"

"Henry's work, in the last few years, has expanded to helping with the local fishing and game commissions in keeping down the wolf and elk populations so they don't overrun anything." Anna let her eyes roll a moment, "He's an expert marksman and that's more frightening to someone out here than the idea of a legal suit."

"Where's that put us, financially speaking?"

"Better off than him. It's…" Anna squirmed, shuffling her feet a moment. "I intended to bring this up in less pressing circumstances, preferably naked, but-"

"Wait," John held up a hand, "Why naked?"

"Because then, when I told you, you would have to wait a few minutes before acting on whatever I might say." Anna waited but John subdued any further reactions. "It's put us on the up and up. We've already acquired Gillingham's land and we're looking into further property expansion. All of it's been done under the names of various other corporations and legal entities but if he figures it out…"

"Then he'll come here with a head full of steam and all his troubles bearing down after him." John rubbed a hand over his face. "You're right, I would've handled this much better naked."

"Sorry."

"For?

"Telling you now?" Anna cringed, "It's not the most ideal of circumstances."

"It's not, no, but I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Why?"

John bit his cheek to stop a smile. "Because I could've had you tell me this after I complimented you ass in bed and I blew the chance to get you naked."

Anna punched at John's shoulder, moving to leave the library. "You're incorrigible. I almost regret telling you anything at all."

"Then I'll just ask, what can I do?" John followed her out of the library and down the stairs for their second attempt at getting the soup Anna mentioned.

"I'll need you to go to town tomorrow and talk to Bertie. I know that I…" Anna took another peek around and lowered her voice, " _Own the place_ and everything, but we will need capital to act fast on this moment of desperation."

"You mean to take advantage of a man's life falling apart around his ears?"

"I do hope that I'm not hearing pity in your voice just now."

"Absolutely not." John opened the door to the kitchen, "You're hearing me trying to get a full lay of the land."

"Which reminds me." Anna stopped, pointing at John's chest. "Whatever happened with the harpy from that dinner in Dublin?"

"She, thank goodness, is permanently banned from the premises." John accepted a bowl from the rotund woman with a shock of orange hair. "And her investor pulled away from the opportunity after her 'unprofessional behavior'."

"Just desserts in my opinion." Anna took her bowl and the barstool next to John at the counter. "I just wish I could've watched the fall out of that."

"It was mostly legal." John swirled his spoon a moment. "Part of me feels sorry for her. To be so miserable you can't accept the possibility of happiness for someone else. And then to let it ruin your life."

"She's ruined?"

"She was never great with money to begin with. A lot of ideas but not the structure to properly execute them." John finally took a spoonful. "She's moved in with a cousin in Belfast until she's 'back on her feet'."

"Again with the pity for the undeserving."

"What, you don't believe in 'sympathy for the devil'?"

"I don't even like that song." Anna tipped her head up, "Mrs. Patmore, as always, this is excellent."

"It's my best autumn soup." Mrs. Patmore allowed a satisfied expression that almost wound the woman into a pleased coil ready to spring. "And the last of mine you'll get all winter."

"What?" John looked between Mrs. Patmore and Anna. "I thought this was a year-round establishment."

"It is but winter is when Mrs. Patmore takes up her chef duties at a resort in Hawaii." Anna winked at the other woman. "She's one for warmer climes."

"How do I get in on that?" John leaned over the counter as Mrs. Patmore waved him off.

"Most of the winter crew here are going to the cabins anyway and those are stocked with supplies and not private chefs." Mrs. Patmore sighed. "I used to do all year here but the winters were never enough for me."

"So who staffs the kitchen in winter?"

"Alfred, Mrs. Patmore's reliable right hand, and we've got two of the local girls who work rotating shifts." Anna waved a hand toward the spread into the mountains. "The cabins are all stocked on order only by our winter employees. Usually with large trucks and tires capable of cutting through half a ton of snow… While carrying snow plows and a moose is necessary."

"And this winter… Is there much activity?"

Anna paused, pursing her lips as she thought. "We've got a family reunion just after the new year and a few ski trips for early February but otherwise we're still fielding options. Mostly we're in hibernation mode out here."

"Sounds smart." John finished his soup and sighed, "That was exactly what I needed to warm my bones."

"Then you'll appreciate that the recipes are all here." Mrs. Patmore patted a recipe book in a collection of older books gathered on a counter. "I only make what's available to any and all who come."

"Do people cook for themselves here?"

"I do." Anna finished her soup as well, "Have to since I'm here all the time."

"Does that mean you've got one of those trucks large enough to cart around a moose too?"

"I've got the mother of them all." Anna held up a finger. "But you don't get to drive her. She's mine and you're only going into town tomorrow."

"I don't trust myself in large vehicles." John shook his head, "I high-centered a Humvee when I was in the army and I've no intention of repeating the process."

"And how does one high center a Humvee, exactly?"

"Not telling." John winked at her. "Now, about those accounts."

They worked over the accounts and the plans until the large clock in the hall chimed the small hours. Hours small enough that John invited Anna to his room but she shook her head. When he went to argue she put her finger over his lips.

"For as late as it is, I still think there are lighter sleepers in this house than you're ready to confront when you have to see them for breakfast." Anna went onto her tiptoes to kiss him. "And you've got to get to town tomorrow. I think you're better off well-rested and not distracted."

"I'll be distracted thinking about you."

"Then think about how impressed I'll be if you can solve the problem." Anna shook her hips as she stepped away from him. "And what that could mean for your future if I am impressed."

"What about the other people in the house?" John hissed.

"They're leaving tomorrow." Anna blew him a kiss from across the hall, the massive stairs separating them. "Until then, Mr. Bates."

John grit his teeth and groaned but pushed into his room. The room he spent the entire night inspecting as he failed to fall asleep. At least until the moment right before his alarm rang his phone right off the bedside table.

But whatever torture Anna put him through, she only made it worse the next morning when she taunted him relentlessly throughout breakfast. Mrs. Patmore's last for the season and quite the thing, if Anna's constant praise and Mrs. Patmore's attempts at deflecting the compliments were anything to go by. And John enjoyed every bit of it to the point he was tempted to lick the plate clean but Anna's tapping at her wrist reminded him of the time and he hurried to place it in the dishwasher at the same moment Anna put her plate in.

"How'd you sleep?" Anna asked, reaching around him for one of the dishwasher pods. John's hand snagged her wrist a second, pausing her actions, and lowered his mouth to her ear.

"Horribly. You?"

"Just fine." Anna extracted the pod, grinning at John as she closed the compartment and pushed the door shut to turn on the machine. "You forget. This is my house and, therefore, my bed. I've slept in it alone quite a few times."

"But if you didn't need to…"

"Ah," Anna wagged her finger and John noted Mrs. Patmore trying very hard to appear as if she wasn't taking in every bit of their conversation. "You've things to get done today, Mr. Bates, and I'd hate to detain you."

"Siren."

"I prefer minx." Anna sauntered away, waving a hand back at him. "Until later Mr. Bates. Drive safely."

John followed her admonition, driving the speed limit all the way into town and finding Pelham's offices with only a little help from the locals. The man, as endearing as ever, answered all of John's questions and went over almost all the same details Anna recounted for John the night before. They even took delivery to the office to hash out the potential payments plans Pelham had devised.

"Alright," John pushed away from the desk, rubbing at his eyes. "I might still be jetlagged, but all these numbers are starting to swim for me."

"Been you and I, it's intense, I'll agree." Pelham sighed, relaxing a bit in his chair. "The difficulty, in all this, is the focus. Anna's got a clear plan of where she wants to go and I admire her vision but I don't think it's sustainable."

"She's trying to get too much too fast?"

"A bit like that." Pelham flexed his jaw before tapping the map between them. "Green's acquisitions were all for personal, quick gain. Anna believes in the long-term and plays the game that way but, as a fan of _Game of Thrones_ , I believe that there's benefit to be found when one isn't always playing the long game."

John frowned, "I'm not sure that was the message I got from that show."

"Let me explain." Pelham put his elbows on the desk between them, leaning forward to properly gesticulate with his hands. "Cersei, poor long-term planner and always out for number one, agreed?"

"She's Green, I'm guessing."

"As close as you can get in this scenario." Pelham cleared his throat. "Anna's more of a Margaery Tyrell."

"Beautiful, intelligent, and usually underrated?"

"More that she believes in Growing Strong. She's got a long game that, if everything follows exactly, will work." Pelham sighed, giving a little shrug. "I was rooting for her the whole time."

"But you're suggesting that's the wrong approach as well."

"Notice how it backfired? She was this close," Pelham held up his fingers to demonstrate, "To winning and Cersei blew her up?"

"Of course."

"Because she planned too long term. She was willing to endure a lot on the chance that she'd win because she was smarter, prettier, younger, and better liked but didn't account for the insanity of someone with Cersei's self-serving attitude."

John leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the wooden arms before adjusting his position again. "Then, at your suggestion, you want to marry the two thoughts? Make them more compatible?"

"I think Anna would do better to slow down, focus her short-term goals on the procurement and restitution of the old Gillingham property than to try and buy Green out in a single go." Pelham bit at his lip. "This'll sound underhanded, but I think you should refuse her the chance at more money. For now, anyway."

"Cultivate what we've got and then expand?"

"Getting Gillingham's land is already an expansion that adds almost double the land she had to manage before. And that, as I've said, was sustainable, but we…" Pelham let out another sigh. "I think we're trying to run before we can walk."

"Okay." John checked his phone. "I'll take this into account and talk to Anna. She's got to access my money for it all the same and so we'll have to make this decision together."

"Just…" Pelham squirmed, "Please don't tell her I went behind her back."

"You didn't." John stood, reaching over the desk to shake Pelham's hand. "You've made an assessment as the man handling the money and you've presented your argument to the man with the money. That's not duplicitous."

"Anna's my friend, not just my colleague, and I… I wouldn't want her thinking I'm not on her side."

"I doubt she'd ever think that." John checked his phone again. "I'd better get going so I don't get lost in the dark driving back."

"Drive safely."

"Will do." John left the office and followed the careful guidance of his GPS to get back onto the road toward Greener Pastures.

As he drove, dusk settling into the half-light that made it difficult to drive with the sun still acting its part to glare on all available surfaces but the shadows reaching out their fingers to pry what visibility they could away from the unwary. It forced John to turn on his headlights and swerve to miss a car barreling toward him. His wheels skidded in the gravel on the side of the road and his heart stopped for a moment as he thought the car would flip into the embankment just feet from him.

Instead he kept his cool and controlled the car enough to bring it to an unsteady halt. The other car revved its engine, trying to escape a divot in the road, and John forced himself from the driver's seat to offer what help he could. But when he reached the car he recognized the make and model from the night at the restaurant and the gravel drive all those months ago.

Before he could even reach the car, Green managed to get the wheels engaged and sped off. Gravel pelted at John and he raised his arms to stop the bits of rock hitting his face as they pinged painfully off his body. He only lowered his arms when the roar of Green's engine faded with the dim red lights.

A sick feeling settled in John's gut and he hurried back to his car. Careful of the gravel and the steep decline into the ditch, John got back onto the road and went as quickly as he considered safe to reach the gravel drive of Greener Pastures. A drive that, in the half-light, appeared almost mangled by speeding tires digging ruts and holes into the gravel.

John managed the path up to the house and left his car barely turned off as he hurried inside the house. The eerie quiet matched the lack of lights and John flipped every switch he saw in an attempt to dispel it, even frightening himself to let off a string of curses when he accidently activated the switch for the garbage disposal. But the quiet only settled harder when he noticed the smashed grandfather clock in the foyer of the lodge.

With the lights steadily illuminating the scene, John followed a path of destruction that moved from the foyer to the game room, with broken pool cues and a smashed foosball table still creaking slightly in the corner, and into the theater room. The screen flickered and hissed as the projector tried to cast a picture that John eventually shut off. He continued on the macabre scavenger hunt as he traced the movements to the study. To the broken scale model, the ripped maps and plans, and the cracked computer screen flickering colors and partial images of the information on the monitor before whatever broke it occurred.

Each room increased the sensation of dread until John finally pushed into the sitting room. The glass table held the cubed shards of green-blue glass in an almost powder underneath it as John worked around the disrupted sofas. And as he moved a chair away from the fireplace he jumped back at the shriek from the person hiding behind the chair.

"Anna?" He bent to touch her but she shied away, crawling almost toward the glass shards of the table. "Anna, it's me."

She barely recognized him, only stopping when her palms and fingers skidded over the glass. John reached down to help her up but Anna skittered away from him to another corner. A corner no longer cast in shadow so he noticed her torn clothes. Saw the scratches and breaking bruises over her face. Saw the cuts and tears over her body that still leaked blood.

Part of him wanted to storm out the door and drive his car like the Devil himself were on his heels until he found Green's car. But the other part of him searched over the askew furniture until he found a blanket. One he immediately offered to Anna and she wrapped herself in so tightly John wondered if she could breathe. Or if she wanted to breathe.

They sat there, in silence, until Anna's shivering and dry-heaving sobs stopped. Every few moments John moved, trying to clean up a bit of the room, but eventually his anxiety led him back to the best view of Anna. The view that she eventually met before extending a hand to him.

John seized it, almost pulled Anna close to him, but she stiffened and all but pushed him away. He stumbled into a chair and they stayed in that pose for a moment until Anna's shoulders fell and her posture softened. Offering his hand again, but keeping the distance, John met her eyes.

"Can I get you some tea?" Anna only shook her head to the affirmative but did not take his hand again. John curled his fingers back into his palm and nodded. "Alright then. I remember where Mrs. Patmore put your special tea bags. I'll make one of those and then we'll talk about dinner… If you're hungry."


	17. Not Really Dead

John placed the steaming mug in front of Anna but kept his distance to the other side of the counter as she gingerly arranged the blanket around herself. He bit at the inside of both of his cheeks before finally taking a deep breath. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No." Anna pulled the mug closer but did not drink it. "Thank you."

"Anna… What-"

"If you're going to ask, I won't tell you."

"But if the police-"

"And tell them what?" Anna lifted her head, a kind of painful fire in her eyes striking John to the core. "They'll never believe me."

"He's already got other cases against him like this. You told me women came forward and the police were looking into it. They'll believe you if you come forward. They can't ignore it."

"You'd be surprised what people can ignore."

"Not if I can corroborate the story." John pointed toward the door. "They'll have my side of it all. The bastard almost drove me off the road trying to fly out of here like a bat out of Hell. He could only have been coming from here."

"So what?"

"So what?" John blinked at her. "It's enough to put him here."

"And then what?" Anna raised her eyebrows and John deflated at her tone without an answer. "Even if you put him here. If your statement places him here and they prove it was him, what'll it do? This place'll get the same stain all of his did. No one will come here and it'll close down. I'll lose everything if anyone finds out."

"Maybe not."

"The inverse being that I'll be the subject for pity." Anna let go of the mug to tighten her hold on the blanket around her. "I won't be the subject for anyone's pity. I'm not a victim."

"No one would say that."

"They all would say that, John." Anna almost reached for the mug before shaking her head. "It'll be my word against his."

"What about your injuries against his?"

"They're superficial." Anna shook her head, stepping off the stool. "And once I get them cleaned up they'll be less than that. They'll be trivial and gone by day after tomorrow. Once they are, I can forget any of this even happened."

"Anna…" John came around the counter but stopped when Anna shrunk away from him. "What about hospital? They'll need to check you over. Make sure you're not bleeding or hurt internally. Or…"

"Or what, John?"

John took a deep breath, "Or otherwise… Infected."

"Infected?"

"What if he gave you something?" John waited but Anna dropped her gaze. "What if he gave you an STI or something. You need to know."

"Or is it you who needs to know?"

"What?"

Anna swallowed, "Do you want to know because you're worried that I'm… That I'm spoiled for you?"

"Spoiled?" John almost stepped forward but stopped himself from approaching her. "You're not spoiled for me. You could never be spoiled."

"I'm ruined, John." Anna waved her hand toward the destruction of the house. "It's all going to come out in the open and then my shame'll have nowhere to hide. I'll be found out and it'll ruin me."

"Anna there's no shame in this." John shook his head, "There's nothing to be ashamed of here."

"There's plenty to be ashamed of here." Anna shook her head, "I couldn't protect myself. Me. For as strong as I try to tell people I am I couldn't protect myself. That's shameful, John."

"No." John shook his head before running his hands through his hair. "It's… I don't know what it is but it's not shameful. And you're not spoiled. Not to me. Never to me. You couldn't be spoiled."

"No?"

"No." John put out his hands and risked a step forward. When Anna did not flinch he took another step to hold one of her hands. It quivered in his grip but she did not draw it back. "You're made holier, and higher to me, because of the suffering you've been put through. A suffering I could never fully understand but that I will spend the rest of my life being there to understand what you'll let me."

He waited another moment but Anna did not respond. "If you'll let me."

Anna flexed her jaw a moment before nodding. "Fine. But you don't tell them anything. If they ask… I'll tell them. I don't want you to know anything about it."

John took a breath and the nodded, "It's on your terms Anna."

"And I'm sitting in the backseat." Anna eyed him, pausing for a moment. "I don't… I don't think I could sit next to you just yet."

"That's fine." John pointed toward the mudroom. "I'll grab my jacket and start the car. Come out when you're ready and I'll drive us to hospital. If you want to turn back, at any point, just tell me and we will."

"Like that?"

"Just like that."

Anna gave another nod and the briefest of squeezes with her hand before withdrawing it to tighten her blanket around herself. "I'll be a few minutes."

"Okay." John pointed toward the mug, "Do you want to finish that or-"

"I'll finish it."

"Right." John took a step back, still watching Anna, and then forced himself to turn. He grabbed his jacket and his keys, shivering as he started up his car and waited for it to warm. Waited until the front door finally opened and Anna emerged wearing an oversized coat with the edges of the blanket still wrapped around her.

John hurried to open the back door of his car and stepped to the side so Anna could get into the backseat. She burrowed in there and he closed the door when she was comfortable. The drive was silent, not even the radio proving enough temptation to risk turning on, and John parked them in the hospital lot to walk Anna toward the front desk. She kept her distance from him but walked beside him all the same before leaving him by a chair so she could talk to the nurse herself.

He waited in the lobby, alternating between sitting and pacing the space as the evening wore into night. Occasionally he attempted to distract himself with his phone but soon lost interest and tucked it away again. It was not until well after midnight that a nurse nudged his shoulder and John woke with a start from the doze that left a crick in his neck and kinks along his spine.

"Mr. Bates?" The woman extended her hand. "My name's Sybil and I need you to follow me please."

John trailed her through the corridors that all smelled of antiseptic and scentless air freshener until they reached a room. The window shades were drawn and Sybil knocked on the door before Anna's voice called for it to open. They entered and stepped to the side as two police officers left with bags holding Anna's clothes. Neither of them looked at John or Sybil as they shut the door behind them.

"He's fine, Sybil. Thank you."

"Mr. Pelham called. Said he and Mr. Talbot were already on sight to let the police in at the lodge." Sybil nodded to her and John. "I'll just be on the other end of the button when you need me."

She left and John risked a few steps closer to the bed. Anna's fingers twisted on top of the blanket and John took the seat next to her, turning it to keep the distance between them so the tension in Anna's shoulders slackened. A bit of a smile managed to cover her lips and she folded her legs toward herself under the blanket.

"The police came."

"I saw."

"They took all my clothes." Anna pointed toward the door. "And then took pictures and… Their investigation was thorough."

"I'm sorry." John put his hand on the bed, leaving it there as Anna let the tips of her fingers touch his. "I'm sorry you've got to go through this."

"Me too." Anna took a breath, wiping at her eyes with her other hand. "But the nurses gave me some medications. Day after pill, full-spectrum antibiotics, and anything else to combat what I could possibly have gotten but they're sure that I'm all clear. Just… Bruised and battered."

"No other problems?"

"I've got…" Anna swallowed, "The… What happened left me with incompetent cervix. But they're putting a shunt in for it and it'll all get fixed up in no time. Like it never even happened."

"But no internal bleeding or other injuries? You're all…" John stopped himself, "I'm sorry. All the words feel wrong."

"I know." Anna let her fingers tap against his before lacing her fingers between his on the bed until the tips of her fingers rested in the webbing of skin between his. "And thank you, for bringing me here."

"You don't have to thank me for that." John tightened his fingers for a minute and then released. "It was the least I could do."

"So you say."

"So I mean, Anna." John gripped the arm of the chair with his other hand to stop himself standing or trying to move closer to Anna. "I… I much more than 'like' you Anna. I knew it back in July and now… I couldn't ever forgive myself if I sat by and did nothing but watched you suffer."

"It's not your suffering to worry about."

"What if I wanted it to be?" John waited, "What if I wanted to worry about you? Would that be so bad?"

"I don't know." Anna closed her eyes, leaning her head back on the raised back of her bed. "I don't know anything anymore."

John sighed, massaging at the bridge of his nose before digging his fingers deep into his eyes before pulling his hand away. "Then let me be honest."

Anna blinked at him, opening her eyes to view him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean." John risked moving his chair forward and turning his hand to hold Anna's. His grip was soft, giving her the ability to move away at any time, and he barely ran his thumb over her knuckles. "I'm having a hard time finding the balance between wanting to wrap you in cotton wool and keep you out of the world so you'll be safe and staying the hell out of it."

"Would you want that?"

"I know that I want to be as involved as you'll allow me to be." John let his fingers run the line of Anna's hand. "It's like the conversation in the hall after Talbot left back in April. That I have to fight the part of me that wants to protect you because that may not be what you want… Even if it's what I want."

Anna's fingers tightened around his. "You're worried about being so over-protective you're insulting me?" John nodded and Anna shrugged into the bed, her other hand pulling aimlessly at the blanket rumpled in her lap. "I wish I had an answer for you but I've no idea what I want you to do."

"Do you want me to stay?" John slid to the edge of his seat, keeping it from toppling over when the weight imbalance tipped him slightly. "I could stay."

"You've got your business in Dublin."

"Most of it I could handle from here. It's only an internet connection and some odd hours. Totally manageable."

Anna shook her head, "I don't think that'll work the way you imagine."

"It could."

"Only because you want it to."

"Anna," John put his other hand over hers, resting lightly enough that he did not tap her grip. "I would move heaven and earth for you if I thought it would help."

"I know." Anna leaned forward, her other hand resting on his cheek. Her fingers quivered and John held himself perfectly still until they relaxed against his skin. "That's why I think you should go."

"Go?"

"Yes." She took a breath. "You need to go back. Back to your job and life in Dublin. Back to your work there while I recover."

"What if you need me?"

"That's just it…" Anna swallowed hard. "If you stay I'll feel… I'll feel like broken porcelain around you and you won't… You won't want me to feel that way but you'll be on eggshells around me. We'll be awkward and tentative and that's not who we are. And I… I don't want it to feel different."

"But we are different, Anna. We need to realize that no matter what the details are, we're different. It'll be different and we'll work out the kinks and suffer the growing pains until-"

"You're not listening." John immediately stopped, his focus entirely on Anna. "What I want is to heal on my own. I need to heal on my own We need…"

She stopped, looking away from him to blink rapidly as if that would dispel any residual tears. "I need to feel like myself again. Even if it's different and this body doesn't feel like mine anymore, it needs to. I need to feel like it's mine again and I can't do that if I feel like I'm trying to be someone for you."

"I'd never ask for that."

"But I'd want to give it to you." Anna's hand fell from his face and settled on his, forming an odd sandwich. Her fingers twitched there, as if she might withdraw, but relaxed a moment later to squeeze his hand hard. "I need time, John. And I think that'll help with distance."

John opened his mouth only to shut it again. He forced a few breaths before attempting to speak again. "Would I… Would I be able to still talk to you? Emails or Skype or… Or whatever?"

"I'd like emails. Telling me about your day, your life, your business." Anna looked at their hands and ran a tongue over her lips before looking at him again. "I don't think I could handle Skype or calls. Not yet."

"Because you're afraid of what I'd say?"

"I'd worry about your tone. That I'd always hear this note in it, like you wanted to say something but you'd hold yourself back." Anna shrugged, "You can't get that with a letter. Or an email."

"Then can I write you letters too?"

"Like old fashioned paper and ink letters?"

"Or pencil or brightly colored markers, however you think of it."

Anna risked a smile before nodding. "I'd like that a lot."

"Then that's what I'll do." John flexed his jaw. "My business here will finish by the end of the week and I'll leave then."

"I didn't mean for you to cut your trip short."

"Most of the time was for… Other things." John bit at his lip. "Things that wouldn't be appropriate now."

"No," Anna ducked her head, biting at her lip. "I don't think they'll be 'appropriate' for some time, unfortunately."

"The unfortunate part is that I was ready to woo you with flowers and chocolates and all the little things that are so disgustingly unoriginal but cliched in the most adorable ways." John gave a smile that Anna matched with a little laugh. "Could I still get you an embarrassingly large teddy bear or something?"

"Romantically?"

"More like one of the ones that smell odd and you get from a hospital shop or something." John shrugged, "My mother had a menagerie of them she used in her home. Called them her stuffed friends."

"I'd like one." Anna gave his hands a final squeeze before pulling away. "One large enough to pretend it's you but..."

"Furrier and with less personality?"

"About like that, yeah." Anna managed a little laugh. "Some way to keep you close while you're far away."

"Without recrimination," John held up his hands, "But I don't have to be."

"But we both know you need to be."

"If it's what you think is best then it's what I'll do." John stood, rubbing his hands over his trousers. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Once Henry and Bertie get finished with the police, Henry's coming to stay and Bertie'll be by in the morning." Anna pointed at the chair. "I think that'll be a poor place to sleep."

"It will indeed." John tapped at his pockets. "When will they let you leave?"

"They're keeping me overnight." Anna lowered her voice, "I think it's because they're a little worried I might consider suicide but also for some test results. They want to make sure I'm taking well to the medications and then give me any regimens I might require, should that prove necessary."

"I just…" John shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I don't want you to feel lonely."

"Get me that teddy bear and you won't have to worry about it."

"Then give me a few minutes to get back through this maze and see what I can come up with."

It took John a few minutes, and the help of Sybil to get into a backroom storage closet, but he found the largest stuffed bear they had, nearly half his size and big enough to sit in a seat without an assist. It had curly fur and smelled the least like antiseptic and fake flower perfume so John left the money on the counter and walked back to Anna's room. She dozed lightly on her bed but startled awake at the sound of the door.

"It's just me." John held up his hands in warning before bending to nab the bear from the chair where he left him. "Meet Teddy."

"He's huge." Anna pushed herself up in bed and accepted the bear as John held him out. Their fingers brushed for a moment and Anna did not shy away. She took the bear and cuddled herself around him, testing the cushion of his stuffing before nodding. "He'll do."

"I should hope so. They didn't have any sizes larger than him." John pointed at the bear. "And he smelled the best out of the options."

"You smelled them?"

"I thought it best, since your nose might be near him, not to associate his smell with anything you wouldn't like."

"You are, without doubt, one of the sweetest men." Anna reached out a hand and John took it carefully. She interlaced their fingers and squeezed before letting go. "I'm just sorry this happened."

"It's not your fault."

"That's not what I meant." Anna sighed, "I'm sorry this happened to you."

"Better me than someone else." John nodded toward the bear. "Teddy'll take care of you now. He can be your listening ear and he'll keep your secrets."

"No one's told me that about a bear since I was seven."

"My mother told me that about the one she got me after my father died."

Anna quieted, "What happened to that bear?"

"Lost him on a school camping trip. Cried for days. Huge, ugly tears." John let out a sigh, "But then I learned to tell some of those secrets to people and I didn't feel so lonely anymore."

"Is that what you're hoping happens here?"

"Whatever happened to you… It's ugly, no matter how you describe it. Now," John shuffled in place, "You could tell me or you could tell Talbot or Bertie or Mrs. Patmore or a shrink for all I care. If I never know that's between you and you. I just hope that, one day, you can tell someone what happened so it won't haunt you. That's the last thing I'd want."

"For now," Anna hugged Teddy close. "He'll know those secrets. And, maybe, someday someone else will know them too."

"That's the best I can hope for." John smiled at her, "I'll be off. Text me, if you need anything."

"Not call you?"

"That's on your terms." John twitched as if to move closer to her but stopped himself, "Sleep well Anna, if you can."

"I'll be better with Teddy here." She squeezed him. "He'll keep the demons away for tonight."

"Good." John went to say something else but thought better of it. He only nodded and left the room.

Anna returned to the lodge the next day but John stayed out of her path. He met with Bertie, had a few terse words with Talbot, and then packed his things. Gone like a thief in the night with only a letter addressed to Anna on the nightstand. The least he could do for her healing process.

Dublin only grew more dreary with the chilling weather. Cold rain turned to wet snow that quickly piled in gray and brown banks on the sides of the road as it melted, froze, melted, and froze again. Attitudes only brightened briefly at Christmas and John hosted the party with as much energy as he could muster, the plastered smile feeling fake even to him. But no one commented.

He worked through the New Year, only sharing a glass of sparkling cider with a few colleagues before excusing himself from the festivities. Instead he wandered the lobby, remembering Anna on his arm there. As the clock struck midnight he sent her a text, wishing her the best of New Years, and reread through the catalogue of emails she sent.

Each got longer. The first ones they sent were short and clipped, as if they were on a first date and trying to figure out what to say to one another. But as time went on, and work progressed, the emails grew longer. He ranted to her about difficult authors, clients with prima donna demands, and difficulties he had with the custodial staff when they went on strike after crazy shenanigans in an office at Valentine's Day.

She told him about the snow, the horses riding through, the winter guests they hosted, and those they banned for life after a wild party set fire to one of the nicer glamping cabins. Occasionally she included notes about her medical visits, the progress of her therapy, and the news she was speaking regularly to a therapist. Her news about Pelham discussed his romantic intentions while Talbot… The news about him had her worrying like a sister.

But all the letters gathered in John's inbox. He printed every one of them, tucking the pages between the handwritten letters before storing them in a binder. The handwritten letters were more literary than their emails. Snippets from poems, their theories about television shows they watched together over the distance, and even the books they read. John beat Anna by a longshot in that regard but soon he found himself exploring novels she suggested and sending her some of his to add to the lodge's library.

It was not until the end of March, in her response to the long email he sent detailing the disaster of a St. Patrick's Day party that had him debating the merits of company parties in general, that Anna finally sent him a question. One that John knew, without previously admitting to himself, he hoped she would send long before that moment. But, when he received it, he knew the time was right.

 _Do you want to come back to celebrate Maggie's life with me on the anniversary of your first visit?_

John sent the details for his itinerary as a response.


	18. The Ending We Deserve

Verdant vegetation dotted the mountains and John took a deep breath of air as he leaned against the car. A more durable, larger wheeled, thicker tread vehicle than the one he rented a year ago. One made for the land he intended on traveling with more experience now that he knew where he was going.

Zipping up his jacket, John got back into the car and drove it further down the road. The ditches now filled with runoff as a sprinkling of spring rain spattered his windshield. But John continued driving and took the turn off for the gravel drive that now bore signs of asphalt and landscaping around the curves and bends until he could only blink in bewildered surprise at the sight of the lodge ahead of him.

He parked the car in one of the clearly delineated spaces and got out, gawking at the sign that hung over the door to the lodge. And he almost tripped himself shutting the door when a voice called out to him. "I thought it deserved a name. It'll go on the brochures."

John turned to see Anna walking toward him, wiping her hands on a towel she then hung from her back pocket. Her arms crossed over her chest as she stepped within arm's reach of him and she jerked her head toward the sign. "What do you think of it?"

"What else could I say that's not already written on my face?" John thrust his hand toward the sign, at a loss for words. "It's… It's beautiful Anna."

"I thought so." Anna took a breath, her arms loosening slightly. "Maggie loved it here and since it's her vision I thought we should name the lodge after her."

" _Maggie's Place_ …" John let the smile break over his face. "I love it."

"I hoped so." Anna took a half step closer. "I debated telling you about it, with all the other renovations, but thought it'd be better to surprise you."

"Consider me supremely surprised." John paused, "What about everything else? All the other upgrades?"

"The lodge is completely modern now, with internet faster than any in town once we agreed to the cell tower that's a bit of an eyesore up the mountain but the money was good enough." Anna pointed toward the stables. "That's all heated now, ventilated too, and we're even fixed up that cabin those fratbros wrecked between their settlement for it and the insurance for reckless ruin."

"Then we're above water?"

"We're floating along just fine." Anna nodded before biting at her lip, the toe of her boot dragging over the ground. "Unless you were asking about something else entirely… Something a little more personal."

"I didn't want to pry."

"But you deserve to." Anna took a deep breath. "He's in for appeals now. They found him guilty after the new year and now his lawyers are trying to paint the lot of us women as conniving bitches out to ruin his life."

"Poor him." John shook his head, "Entitled ass."

"Tell me about it." Anna managed a little smile before her face fell slightly. "I… I owe you an apology John."

"What?" John blinked at her before shaking his head. "You don't owe me anything Anna. Not now and not ever."

"But I do." Anna insisted, closing the rest of the distance to take John's hand. "I… I rejected you when you deserved my gratitude and I'm sorry."

John was quiet a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek before swallowing. "You needed space and I wanted to give it to you."

"I know and for that… I'll never fully express my appreciation for what you were willing to do. For what you were willing to give and then gave." Anna let her thumbs trace the skin of the back of his hand. "But I didn't really know what I needed. I thought I did but I was wrong."

John waited, saying nothing as Anna continued. "What I needed, John, was you. And I… I made a mistake. I was wrong to ask you to leave. I pushed you away when I needed you closer. I should've held onto you instead of forcing you out and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that."

"We all heal in our own ways and in our own time." John tried to say but Anna shook her head.

"I've wanted you back since the moment I told you to leave. I wanted to beg you back but my pride wouldn't let me. And then it was too much time and then…" Anna let out a breath, a weight rolling from her shoulders. "I finally found the courage to ask you here because I could make it look like I didn't put any effort into it. Like it was natural."

"Was it natural?"

"It might've been a bit more natural if I'd asked you nearer to Christmas and not this side of Easter." Anna's smile stayed a little longer on her face this time. "But I was a fool and this was the hardest conversation I've had in a very long time."

"I'm glad we could have it."

"So am I." Anna tugged on his hand. "Come on, I want to show you the rest of the lodge. We've got it all to ourselves until next week."

"All to ourselves?" John hummed in his throat. "Sounds like you…"

He stopped and Anna turned, frowning at him. "What?"

"Nothing," John waved it down. "It was stupid."

"It's not stupid."

"It is, considering…"

"Oh," Anna stopped, standing on the step above him at the porch. "You're… You're talking about something a little more intimate, aren't you?"

"Yes." John swallowed, "When I shouldn't, because that's insensitive and I'm assuming that it's… I couldn't… I don't want you to feel…"

"John." Anna put her whole hand over his mouth and John stopped immediately. "Whatever you're thinking isn't so far off what I was hoping might happen over the course of this week."

"Really?"

"Really." Anna nodded, a familiar glint to her eyes. Her body tensed a second and John reached out his second hand to her shoulder. When she did not flinch away he massaged her arm until she relaxed.

"We don't have to."

"I want to." Anna met his eyes. "You've no idea how much."

"I think I might." They both let themselves giggle together a moment before John turned serious again. "But really, it's not necessary if you're not ready."

"I won't until I try."

"I know." John let his hand slide down her arm to meet her hands so they formed a tangle. "And whatever you want, I'm here to give. I just want you to want it. Whatever 'it' is."

"I do." Anna drew him closer. "I want you, John."

"Then I'm yours." John paused and leaned forward. Her lips met his and he moved slowly, waiting for her cues before sinking into the kiss. It broke a second later, Anna pulling back to sigh.

"That was lovely."

"Then take as many as you like." John smiled back at her. "Just tell me, at any time, if you feel uncomfortable and we'll step back until we're both ready to move forward. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Anna leaned over and snuck a quick kiss. "I trust you. I just hope you'll trust me when I say that I'm ready."

"I will." John followed her into the lodge. "So, I'll assume you made plans for us on this anniversary of mine."

"I did." Anna pointed at the collection of materials crowding over the large kitchen island. "We're going to see the glamping cabins."

"Really?"

"You didn't see them the last two times you were here and once you've toured through the renos here at the lodge they're the next thing." Anna paused, "Do you want to drive that monster you rented out there?"

"I made sure to get the all-wheel drive, the one with a veritable tank-like outside, the high carriage, and spacious seating in case we get trapped and need to use the seats as beds." John gave a self-satisfied smile. "I knew a bit more about what I was getting into this time around."

"Alright then." Anna pointed at the bags and boxes. "We'll get these into your boot and then I'll give you the tour here before I lock up."

"What about the horses?"

"We've got a guy who comes 'round for them, William. He's taking care of them until we get back from glamping." Anna grabbed a box, "Pick what you can carry and we'll have this done in no time."

When they loaded John's car with the supplies and Anna's luggage, tucked safely in the backseat with John's moved bags, she gave him the tour. The stables were not much altered except for a sign above them that now declared them the 'Horse Hostel'. A detail Anna insisted came in handy when children came for lessons in the weeks to come.

Then it was the porch. All of it repainted and sealed against the elements while circling the entire lodge for multiple points of ingress and egress to meet the fire codes. It also allowed them to enter the lodge through the game room where Anna showed John the replaced pool table, foosball table, and an entirely new air hockey table.

"Popular with Canadians?"

"And Americans. You wouldn't believe how people love this thing." Anna rapped a knuckle against the table. "It's mad, really. Mental, almost."

"What about darts?" John motioned toward the walls.

"We had them for awhile but children throw them at each other and if anyone gets drunk there goes an eye." Anna shook her head. "Better just a pinched finger or a jammed hand than blood."

"Good thinking."

They proceeded to the theater, now boasting better seating and a mended projector that came down from the ceiling at the push of a button. The library glinted feebly with all the second-hand books but the shelves stocked more now John's donations filled the shelves. Empty spots still beckoned for more but John paid more attention to the reading nooks and the large bean-bag cushions Anna had to help him out of when he attempted to test them.

The rooms all bore signs of paint jobs, refurbished furniture, and retiled bathrooms. They wrapped the lodge back to the kitchen before John could even attempt to organize his thoughts. His hands gripped the counter as he shook his head in pleasant shock.

"It's gorgeous Anna. It's… I didn't even know it needed all these fixes."

"To say it 'needed' them is a bit of a stretch." Anna flexed her jaw. "Your mother, God rest her soul, went all out on the insurance for this place. So when it got damaged six months ago… Let's just say there was more to spare than I anticipated and it knocked off a good chunk of my list for fix-it jobs."

"It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it." Anna gave him a little smile before slapping her hand on the counter. "But we've other places to see and the road's a bit winding so better get on it before dark."

"Sounds like an expedition."

"All the best adventures are expeditions." Anna waved him toward the door. "I've just got to lock up. Make sure all the doors are secure."

John waited on the porch for Anna to reach him, standing off the bench when Anna closed the door, snapping it into place, and then turned the key before flipping the cover for a hidden panel next to the door. Her fingers flew over the buttons before the panel chirped twice. She closed the panel and turned to John.

"All set."

"Is that…" John pointed at the now-invisible panel. "Is that new?"

"I had it installed when we replaced all the locks." Anna shuffled a second, "Makes me feel safer."

"No argument from me." John gestured toward his car. "Shall we?"

"Since you asked so nicely." Anna walked close to him, waiting as he opened the door to her side of the car. "And the code, by the way, is 'Maggie'."

"Convenient and easy to remember."

"It's been nice." Anna shrugged, fiddling with her phone while also pulling a map from her bag. "Like having her watch over me."

"Wish I'd thought of it." John waited as Anna focused on the map, wiping at her eyes. "So, where are we going?"

Anna guided John back to the main road and further on than he had been before. The road turned to switchbacks and then up another gravel road that followed the line of the mountains to send them up higher than John even rode on a horse. When they reached a gate, John hopped out to open it before they continued farther up the gravel road. And it was getting to the point when John wondered if they should try to find their bearings when Anna directed him down a dirt path.

It wove between trees before opening on a smaller cabin. Smaller, however, being more in line with a relative size in comparison to the positively mammoth main lodge. Boasting two levels, a wrap-around porch, and a full step-out balcony on the second floor, the building where John parked could hardly be considered a cabin by any archaic definition and only held the term in a loose, vintage-rustic sense.

John got out of the car and stared up at the structure, shaking his head in disbelief until Anna snorted a laugh beside him. He pointed up at the building and faced her. "That's not a cabin."

"It's cabin enough for the rentals and I told you," Anna opened the back door to extract her luggage. "It's for glamping."

"I don't think I appreciated how much 'glamor' there was to this kind of camping before I saw this." John opened up the other side of the car and extracted his own luggage. "Should I pull in closer to our castle, dear, or does the drawbridge not extend far enough over the moat?"

"There's a little garage behind the cabin but let's get more of the stuff in first."

Between the two of them, they managed to transfer the haul of the vehicle's boot once again before John followed Anna's instructions and turned into the covered garage behind the cabin. A hoop stuck above the cement space to offer a decently-sized half court for any basketball enthusiasts and John thought he recognized the gear for fishing and snow-shoeing in the garage. But he took no time to really investigate.

Instead he joined Anna inside the kitchen where she sorted through the boxes and crates they brought to fully stock the refrigerator and most of the cupboards before assigning John to bathroom duty. He carried the sack with the toilet tissue and shower accouterments up the narrow staircase to gawk at the sitting room and bedroom with an attached bathroom. All of it exposing the fake wood for the log cabin feel but the slight breeze from the vents betrayed the modern heating keeping the entire building from being as rustic as the appearance begged to suggest. An appearance continued in the bathroom with its multi-headed shower and shale-like floor.

He returned to the first level, peeking into the two smaller bedrooms on that floor first, before circling his finger in the air as Anna put the last thing in the cupboard. "This place… It's bigger than most of the flats I've ever lived in. Bigger than the flat I live in now."

"It's bigger than most of my homes too." Anna put her forearms on the counter, leaning over before shrugging. "But it's what people want. A place to escape for a holiday that feels like what we think old fashioned places should feel like and gives us the nostalgia we crave."

"Do you like the nostalgia?"

"Since I live full-time at the lodge, I'm not as taken-in by it as I used to be." Anna pushed off the counter. "But, if you'd like, "I can show you why I picked this cabin over the other options."

"Actually…" John shuffled, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets. "I was hoping that I could just tuck myself into a corner here and not do anything outside."

"Cheeky monkey." Anna snapped at him with a towel and John barely dodged it. "You might want to get yourself into some walking shoes and a thicker coat."

"Are you intending on freezing me out?"

"Absolutely not." Anna pointed toward the fireplace in the sitting room just off the dining room. "We've got that for a reason and there's firewood right outside that door, by the way."

"Oh?" John walked over to peek and then grinned at Anna. "You didn't say anything about the hot tub."

"Why do you think I told you about the firewood?" Anna grabbed her bags and started up the stairs. She paused about halfway up, still able to see John. "If… If you don't mind, I think I'd like it if we were both in the master bedroom."

"Are you sure?"

Anna nodded, "I haven't… Since it happened, I haven't slept in another bed and I… I feel like I might be scared to sleep alone here."

"It's up to you."

"Good." Anna jerked her head toward the second level. "Then come on up and unpack so we can get going."

Between their unpacking and taking turns in the bathroom, they were outside before the sky darkened. Anna led John around the basketball court and toward a trail behind the shed at the back of the cabin. A trail that wove them deeper into the trees until John could barely see the top of the cabin before they took another turn and the view was gone.

They trekked down into a bit of a ravine before Anna pulled them up along a mountain trail. It snaked and weaved between the trees until John saw the top of the cabin again before they rounded the side of a hill and worked their way back down into a little valley. This one held a sparkling lake still hinting at a swell from spring-runoff trickling from the snow melting higher up in the mountains.

"This one has always been my favorite." Anna led John down the path to the little jetty that hosted a bench where she perched to look at the water. "I was so angry when those frat-douches almost ruined it that I debated burning it all to the ground but…"

"I'm glad you didn't."

"It was easier to refurbish and renovate than rebuild." Anna sighed and pointed at the lake. "And this… This was untouched and I didn't want too many people finding it."

"There's fishing gear in the garage." John jerked his thumb over his shoulder, like he could point over the twisting trail with it. "I'm sure someone knows this place is here."

"It's on the maps but no one usually goes out this far." Anna sat back, her fingers interlacing in her lap. "It's the most peaceful place I've found on the whole earth and I… I came up here a lot after what happened."

"Even in the snow?"

Anna nodded, "If you've got the right gear than weather is just weather."

"I don't know if I agree." John shivered, "I don't like the cold."

"No one really likes the cold." Anna let herself smile. "Everyone wishes it was always a hint cool with clouds that occasionally block the sun and a nice breeze."

"Like Camelot."

"Exactly." Anna tensed a moment before she spoke. "It's part of why I wanted you to come here."

"To see Camelot?"

"No." Anna shoved at him and John moved with the gesture. "Because I wanted to share this place with you. I wanted you to be a part of the peace I found here. To… To finally be a part of the healing I've found out here."

"Anna…" John reached a hand over, covering hers and Anna did not shy away. In fact her fingers immediately separated to intertwine with his. "You've no idea how honored I am that you want me to be a part of this."

"Despite the fact that I kept you out of it for so long?"

"Time is relative." John shrugged and then stopped, looking up. "Is it… Is that snow? Is snow falling right now?"

Anna looked up and stuck out her tongue, catching a flake on it before it dissolved immediately. "Tastes like it."

"I didn't bring a winter coat."

"That's on me." Anna cringed, "I didn't warn you we'd be this far up into the mountains. It… It can snow all the way into June up here."

"Good Hell."

"Come on." Anna grabbed his hand and stood up. "If we walk fast then we'll be toasty enough to make it back to the cabin without worrying about freezing off anything we might actually want to keep."

"You're hilarious." John followed Anna back to the cabin all the same, shutting the door against a quickening wind as the snow flurried and swirled. He peeked out the window before locking the door and shaking his head. "This is ridiculous. I mean… Snow, in April."

"Come on." Anna urged him over. "We can start a fire and pretend it's Christmas and we're celebrating together."

"Did you bring wine for that?" John checked the fridge. "Bubbly?"

"We'll reenact New Year as well." Anna pointed toward the fireplace. "Do you know how to use one these?"

"I've used central heating my entire life so, no." John pointed to the fridge. "I'll trade you tasks. You start a fire and I'll get us something to eat?"

"Sounds fair." Within minutes they had a fire going and Anna formed a nest of sorts in front of it as John brought over the bits and pieces for the platter of assorted foods he prepared. Anna cooed over the sight of it, "You've outdone yourself here Mr. Bates and I applaud that."

"As long as you don't go into the kitchen you'll still think it's impressive." Joh handed her a glass. "I do hope you don't mind that I opted for the grape juice instead of the wine."

"I'd hate to be the reason you give up your sobriety." Anna clinked her glass against his and snuggled closer to him. "I'd hate to be the reason you gave up anything that really mattered."

John waited a moment, "What would you hope I'd give up for you Anna?"

She did not answer immediately, choosing instead to pick around the platter for a moment. When Anna did finally speak, John hung onto her every word. Each one weighted and measured as if to find the right words to respond. The exact lexicon of expression to assure there would be no misunderstanding.

"Everything." She met his eyes, "It was what I realized, when I knew I wanted you back, was that I hoped you'd be willing to give up everything for me."

"I would."

"You say that but," Anna put her glass aside, swigging it quickly as if liquid courage might loosen her tongue. "You don't know what that would mean."

"Other than getting trapped in freak snowstorms on the side of a mountain?"

"You'd have to leave behind your offices in Dublin. Your work there would be… If it could even continue here it'd be different. You'd be restricted by time zones and internet connections and a driving distance to the airport that's more than a little ridiculous if you hope to fly more often than every six months."

"Okay." John nodded, "And those aren't insignificant things but they're just that Anna, things."

"But your family's not. And while your extended family isn't close you still have them there. Plus, your deceased family are all laying in the plots in the same churchyard they've laid your family for centuries."

"My mother knew that and she still wanted her ashes spread here." John motioned about them. "She wanted this place and she gave it to me, knowing what it would mean if I wanted to keep it."

"Running this place, even as a silent partner, is not the same as what I'd want from you John." Anna took his hands in hers. "I'd want to keep you here forever. That's what I'd want you to give up for me and it's selfish to even think about it, not to consider the idea that I'd even dare ask for that."

"You haven't asked it of me Anna." John took a breath, "And even if you did, you'd be a little late."

Anna gaped at him, "What?"

"When I sent you the itinerary for my trip I made a few other decisions." John sat back, his gaze occupied by the fire. "For as much as you worry about my job and my career and my family, they're not as important as you. Not as important as this place. As what this place means."

"They're your life John."

"Not anymore." John shifted, folding his legs in front of him to face Anna. "I sold the company to someone I trust and did what I did here, stayed on as silent partner. I'll have a couple functions to attend a few times a year but mostly I'm out of it. And… I'm not insignificantly wealthy because of it."

"You just… sold everything?" John nodded and Anna sat back, "You gave it all up, just like that?"

"No, it was about six months in the making, as a process." John reached out and Anna allowed him to take her hand. "Each holiday that passed, each email we exchanged, each letter I wrote or received told me the same thing over and over. That I wasn't happy there. That I was miserable pretending all that stuff mattered when it hadn't, not really, for a lot longer than I admitted to myself."

"And now?"

"Well, once you told me you wanted to see me…" John flexed his jaw, "I didn't want to impose so I got a place in town. Someplace close enough to you that I could be close and we could start again but far enough away that you wouldn't feel like I was crowding you if you needed space."

"You got a place in town?" Anna's fingers traced over and under his hands, sending shivers down John's spine. "Why waste the time when you've got a room at the lodge. It's yours, remember?"

"Even so…" John gave a snorting laugh. "All I've got in that room are shirts and those cowboy boots you made me buy last time."

Anna shivered, "Don't give me any ideas about getting you in just a shirt and some boots because I might discover a fetish."

"Then we'll discover them together." John stopped Anna's fingers so he could kiss each one. "I've made my choice, Anna, and I hope you'll make me yours."

"You've been mine for a very long time John." Anna scooted closer to him, both of them careful to move their glasses and the food out of the way of their cozy nest before the fire. "I just want to feel like I'm yours again."

"Your wish is my command." John breathed as Anna closed the distance but John paused all the same. "If, at any point, you want me to stop…"

"I will." Anna looped her arms around John's neck. "But I doubt I'll need to."

"I'll go slow."

They took their time. Each piece of clothing discarded represented a chance to rediscover skin forgotten to all but the most private of their memories. Skin that then begged for touches and kisses that left them keening and moaning together. And when their movements bunched the nest of blankets and pillows Anna made into something more comfortable than the wooden floor, John laid Anna back.

He took care with his movements. Each touch was delicate, exploratory was he wanted to avoid any reactions that might invoke memories she did not share with him. The memories she kept to herself. The memories that, no matter how much better she was now, might still trigger at any moment. So he maintained the slow pace and waited for each new step until Anna's insistence had him continuing on his personal journey of discovery.

With the lights from the kitchen almost distant as they lay hidden by the backs of the sofas, John explored Anna by firelight. The orange burned over her skin and had John kissing over all the places where light met shadow as they finally rid one another of the last of their clothing. It only took a moment of pause before Anna nodded and John finally leaned over her to bring their lips together.

Time healed all wounds and distance made the heart grow fonder but the sensation of kissing Anna again exceeded all trite phrases. It started tentative, like two strangers meeting for the first time, but eased into smoother motions as familiarity bloomed. John put one hand to the floor to balance himself and the other gently cupped the back of her neck to better control the kiss as he turned sideways so their mouths slanted for a deeper kiss.

Her fingers moved in his hair, framing his face and memorizing him by tactile sensation. John moved into her hold, moving at her urgings until he lowered his body to hers, and groaned into her mouth when one of her legs rose to his hip. Their bodies slid slowly together and they maneuvered until Anna finally broke the kiss.

John paused, waiting for her to continue, and met her eyes. They did not speak but John let his gaze flick downward before meeting her expression again. Anna nodded and managed deep breaths as John maneuvered his kisses over her body to memorize her with his lips. Each of his kisses followed the lines of Anna's whimpers until he rested at her breasts.

Taking his time there, John maneuvered his body lower as Anna's legs spread to allow him to settle between them. The crux of her legs rubbed against his abdomen and John lowered himself to her to increase the friction as his mouth took one of her breasts and his hand massaged the other. Anna's hips raised into him, rolling against him in time to the weave of her fingers into his hair, and brought his mouth back to her lips again.

John broke the kiss first, breathing against the skin of her shoulder and trying to hold himself back from thrusting forward at the wet stripe Anna left against his abdomen. He took a deep breath, pressing his chest to her breasts and almost groaning at the sensation of her nipples rubbing against him, but moved to meet her eyes. "Are you sure?"

Anna nodded and tried to bring his lips to hers again but John pulled back. The flash of fear in her eyes had John quickly kissing her before pulling back. "I need you to tell me you're sure. I want you to be sure."

Her fingers moved out of his hair, tracing the line of his jaw. "I'm sure, John. I'm very sure."

John kissed her again, keeping her occupied as one of his hands moved down her body. He paused to knead at her breasts until Anna moaned in his mouth before continuing to her leg. Wrapping it over his hip, John aligned them and eased through the wetness between Anna's legs. She tensed a second and John waited until the clench in her abdomen eased and he thrust forward again.

They moved together, gaining a rhythm that kept them holding at one another. In the light they rediscovered one another and held tightly when Anna shuddered around John. He followed after her and tried to hold her as close as he possibly could before their muscles no longer allowed him to do so.

His fingers moved in her hair as they tangled together in the firelight. Eventually the growl of his stomach and hers forced them to sit up and take advantage of the platter they pushed to the side earlier. Food they exchanged until john noticed Anna dozing off.

"Are you tired?"

"Maybe." Anna sighed, holding the edge of the blanket around her. "It's… It's been awhile since I've been so satisfied."

"I'm glad I satisfied you." John leaned over, kissing her cheek. "If you are… Actually satisfied."

"I wouldn't lie about that." Anna snuggled closer to him. "Thank you for coming back John."

"Always." John held her close, "However, whenever, wherever."


	19. Killing the Snake

John wrapped the robe around himself a shivered as he exited the house to see the bubbling jacuzzi. Anna beckoned to him from under the bubbles and he shivered again. "It's blistering out here. Brass monkeys… I've probably frozen something off already."

"Then get into the water you big baby and you'll warm right up." She patted the molded plastic sides of the hot tub. "It's nice and warm in here."

"Fine." John walked through the small drifts of snow on the porch and shuddered before opening his robe and hanging it next to Anna's. It took two huge puffs of breath before he slipped his feet from the large wellies and hurried up the two steps to get into the turbulent waters of the hot tub. He sighed almost on contact and immediately made himself comfortable opposite Anna.

"See?"

"No need for 'I told you so'."

"I didn't say that." Anna put a hand to her chest, "Did I say that?"

"Sounded about like that."

"But I didn't say it."

"Fine." John leaned back, sinking further under the water. "You didn't say it. But I could hear you thinking it from here."

"Look at us." Anna spread her arms over the back of the hot tub, "Already bickering like a married couple."

"That's not comforting." John closed his eyes, "You do recall the circumstances that brought us together in the first place, yes?"

"Very well." John opened his eyes as one of Anna's toes dragged along his leg. "I also remember that I thought you rather attractive when I saw you across that bar, giving your mother a beautiful eulogy."

"It went better in my head." John sighed, "I didn't see Vera coming and ruining it when I planned it all out."

"All the same," Anna's foot drifted higher up John's leg as she shifted toward him in the foaming water. "I thought it was lovely and I thought you were equally lovely. Had time not been against me I might've suggested dinner then."

"Really?"

"Really." Anna's hand settled on his leg and John swallowed as it drifted upward. "I am curious where you found swim trunks. I didn't mention any swimming on our agenda."

"They're just a spare set of pants actually." John twitched as Anna let her hand rest on upper thigh before cruising further. "I thought boxers over briefs in this case… Didn't want to…"

"Flash me?" Anna grinned at him, leaning toward him as her hand finally settled on the growing evidence of arousal. "Afraid I'd get scared?"

"This was supposed to be relaxing."

"I'm relaxed." Anna twisted her body, standing up to lean over John and his mouth dropped open when he realized she was naked. "And it was never about actually relaxing in here."

"You planned this?"

"Everything except the snow part, yeah." Anna nodded at him, her hand leaving her hold on his erection to trace a finger over his jaw. "So what do you say about getting rid of those wet boxers of yours so I can have my way with you?"

"That I'd be an idiot to do anything but exactly what you say." John struggled with the wet fabric, snapping it in the water and sending splashes as he tried to recover himself and not tip Anna over. As he tossed the boxers over the side he noted the gooseflesh rising on Anna's arms and immediately drew her back into the water to try and warm her up.

She took her position right on his legs, moving her hands to his chest under the water, and grinned at him. "Right where I want you."

"I'd hope so." John tried to grin back but one of her hands dropped between them. He missed the maneuver as Anna chose that exact moment to slide forward so her hand trapped between their bodies and she brought their lips together. The rush of sensations distracted John until his mind had no idea where or how to comprehend what Anna might do next.

She chose to do it all.

With her fingers wrapped around his erection and their bodies close together, Anna ground her hips against him in time with her steady strokes. John's hands had nowhere to go but her hips as he tried to hold her in place. But Anna set her own pace as she lured him away from his intentions with her determined kisses. The kisses that distracted John as Anna positioned her knees on either side of John's hips and changed her angle to slowly envelop him until they could go no further.

John's fingers dug into her hips and held there as he tried to restrain himself from moving. Anna's hands smoothed up his arms to hold at his shoulders before they interlaced behind his neck. She held there until John finally groaned.

"Please don't make me beg." He pleaded with her and Anna shifted her shoulders before setting the pace to move.

"But you beg so beautifully." Her forehead touched his, "Would you?"

"Beg?" John nodded, "Absolutely."

"Because I asked you to?"

"I'd do anything you asked me to."

Anna's damp fingers brushed hair back from John's forehead. "I know." She brought their lips together slowly, "It's why I'd never abuse that power."

"And I'll never hurt you."

"You couldn't." Anna's fingers traced down his face, leaving streaks over his skin before settling on his shoulders. "It's why I think we should move now."

The added sensation of the bubbles only tickled John's skin from the outside while his blood sizzled from the inside. Anna's lips kissed over his face and despite his searching attempts to bring her back to his, she avoided his mouth and opted instead for sucking over his neck. His fingers strained as he tried to hold himself back but Anna only nipped at his jaw before rolling her hips into his as she whispered in his ear.

"You can move too."

John immediately bent his head, trailing kisses over Anna's neck and she shivered. The chill air nipped at his skin and he noted the pebbling on her flesh but continued his work lower until he settled at her breasts. He took one in his mouth and sucked at her nipple as Anna's fingers dug into his hair and guided his movements until she rocked and bobbing in his lap. Each tug and lick had her breathing harder and harder against his ear until the grab of her fingers in his hair finally dragged him to her lips.

He almost grinned into their kiss but one of Anna's hands snaked between them to rub at herself and inadvertently brush over him when she gyrated back to change her angle so he dragged against the right spots. They sloshed the steaming water out of the hot tub and as the bubbles settled and died in the rippling water. A trigger John used to hold tighter to Anna as she forsook all solid holds on him with her free hand and reached behind her to carefully fondle John's sack.

The lack of self-control in his next motions almost shattered his evolved brain. John moved a hand to Anna's back to keep her close to his chest and drag her breasts against him as he thrust harder. His kissed over her neck, collar, and breasts turned almost desperate as he thrust erratically.

For a moment he worried, pausing briefly to see Anna's face, that he might have pushed the boundaries too far. Might have proved an undesired reminder. Might have triggered an inverse reaction in her.

But Anna just squeezed him tighter and dragged the backs of her fingers against his abdomen as they pressed and maneuvered more determinedly at her clit. John followed her lead as they struggled to breathe and then came together in a rush. One that left steaming clouds on the air like that still rising from the warm waters that still protected them from the chill air.

Anna slid off John, placing a sloppy kiss on his cheek as she settled back in the water and let her neck rolled back onto the padding. John's body sagged and he slipped further into the water. His downward slope only stopped when his toes stubbed on the far side of the tub and he adjusted with a grimace that brought a little laugh from Anna.

"It's not funny when you're as tall as I am." John adjusted his position as Anna moved to his side. "I can't do anything less than Business Class or else my knees are knocking against my chin."

"Poor baby." Anna let her hand run over his arm underwater and she kissed his shoulder before settling again. "The world's too small for John Bates."

"It's just the size it should be." John looked around them. "I could definitely be happy living out here."

"You don't seem like the type for the boonies, no offense meant."

"None taken." John sighed, "It's more the quiet, really. Just to be finally be alone with my thoughts and away from people."

"I thought you liked people."

"I like what people can do." John shrugged and then reached over to the controls to bring the bubbles back. "But I've always been a bit more of a homebody than a social butterfly. I just… I get bored in crowds. I like keeping to myself."

"Living out here isn't about keeping to yourself." Anna's fingers dragged over the back of his hand. "It's about hard work. And while I don't doubt you'd adapt to it… Once we broke some serious blisters on those lovely hands of yours, it's more than just the idyllic sensation one gets while glamping."

"You've heard this little tirade before, haven't you?"

Anna nodded and straightened in the water. "There are so many of the well-meaning but annoying unaware tourists that come up here for a week or so and enjoy the amenities of being out in the 'middle of nowhere' while still getting their reception and daily dose of television."

"Not you."

"I'm out here for other reasons, despite the fact that I appreciate steady reception and my own streaming services, thank you." Anna gave a shrug of her own. "A place like this needs to exist because it's like a pocket dimension for people. They see what it could be like to reconnect, even for a moment, with quiet and that's important. But it's not for nostalgia or appearances. It's for real and they're only getting a taste of it before they go back to their lives."

"Not something you do."

"This is my job and my life, I can't just abandon it all." Anna quieted, "Which is what makes me wonder how you could just leave all of that."

"It was what I needed at one point in my life and now it's not." John smiled at her, "When you get to be my age-"

"Oh stop," She shoved at him, upsetting the bubbling water. "You're not going to get to lecture me about age."

"I am older than you."

"And I don't care." Anna interlaced their fingers. "I'll never have the words to describe fully what I feel for you John."

"There might be three words that'll say it." John met Anna's eyes. "You once asked me to tell you in a place when we were alone and the world was quiet and we only had the universe as our companion."

"I think I mentioned we'd have to be alone in the wilderness."

"Same thing." John reached a finger forward, taking a few strands of hair that escaped from the updo that kept it from his reach, and pressed it behind her ear. "When we only had nature for our witness, I could tell you what you mean to me."

"I also stipulated that we weren't supposed to be naked and sweaty and riding the high of an orgasm."

"I'm completely lucid and we're wet, not sweaty." John let his hand rest along her jaw. "If you're not ready to say it yet, I'll understand. But if I don't say it I think something inside me might burst."

"Okay." Anna put her hand over his, "Then tell me."

"I love you, Anna. I have for a long time and while it wasn't appropriate to say it before I can't not say it now. Not after everything we've gone through in the last year. Be it together or apart, what we endured is greater than all the little eccentricities that make it all so difficult. And all that did was remind me that I do love you. That I always will."

Anna nodded into his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm before moving it from her face. "I don't know if I can say I feel that way yet. I'm still… Trying to sort out what I feel and what that all means."

"I understand." John paused, "Well, I don't… I don't know if I exactly understand but I want to understand. And I want to be here for you."

"Thank you." Anna wove her hand into his. "You've no idea what that means to me. What you mean to me."

"I'm excited to find out." John taunted and ducked Anna's hand. He pushed his palm through the water and doused her with water, leaving her spluttering as he carefully extricated himself from the water and wrapped the robe around him before slipping into his wellies. "I'll get a fire going."

"I'll get you back for that John Bates." John watched from the door as Anna rose out of the water and he winked at her. Anna only leveled a finger at him, "It's not funny. Even if I'm sopping wet."

"I was looking at the birth of Venus."

Anna paused and tried to model for a moment before shivering and grabbing for her robe. "Another time maybe."

"I'll get back to that fire."

They dried off, changing positions in the tight confines of the shower, and John had a fire going in the sitting room hearth as Anna came down, her hair carefully braided down her back. John patted the space on the sofa next to him but Anna shook her head. It was only then he noticed her clothes and the walking shoes she held in her hands.

"I hope you're not about to suggest physical activity outside the confines of this war cocoon we've got going here."

"I was, actually, going to suggest you could come and see the what we've done with the edge of the Gillingham property." Anna shrugged, "It's your investment, after all, and you deserve to know how it's all going."

"I intended to trust it all to you without question."

"Come on lazy." Anna nodded toward the door. "If you come, I might tell you that I packed some boots that I want to model for you later."

John frowned, getting off the sofa and carefully turning down the fire before shutting off the gas, and followed her to the door so he could bundle in another sweater before grabbing for his jacket. "Then I'd have to ask what you think a pair of boots might do for me."

"A lot it they were the only thing I'm wearing."

"You…" john forced himself to swallow. "You're a cruel woman, Anna Smith, to use that kind of thing against me."

"Why not?" Anna winked at him, grabbing her cowboy hat to put on her head before trading it for a beanie. "You use it against me all the time."

"Not true." John fumbled for the hood on his jacket, pulling it tight before following Anna out the door. "I'd never be so cruel."

"You did give me a fetish about you in boots."

"So you've said…" John counted for a moment before tucking his hands into his pockets, "Three times."

"No wonder you ran a business, mind like yours." Anna pointed, "This way."

They trekked along the same route as the day before for a stretch before Anna steered them off that path and onto another. One that took them along a ridge before turning into switchbacks leading to another valley.

About the time John considered unzipping his jacket and surrendering one of his sweaters, Anna stopped them and pointed. "There it is."

John whistled, "Nice lodge you've got planned there."

"I thought so." Anna waved him forward. "Come on."

"So you've bought the place?"

"The purchase went through before…" Anna paused, "Before all of Green's assets were frozen and they arrested him."

"He's done then?"

"He's… Out on bail. He can't leave the province and has weekly check-ins with the officers in charge of his case but he's definitely feeling the hurt… In a way."

John bit the inside of his cheek before taking Anna's hand, stopping their downward descent. "Thank you, for telling me."

"It's nice to share it with you." Anna smiled but paused, "What the hell?"

Her speed picked up and she wove down the side of the hill almost faster than John could keep up. They hit the bottom of a muddy stretch, working through the tread marks of the construction vehicles and toward the gathering of people in construction vests and thick coats all debating about something. Arguing almost by the volume of their voices by the time John and Anna arrived close enough to make out the source of their frustrations.

"Look, you're not allowed here and-"

"I don't give a shit what you think. I've got-"

"What's all this then?" Anna pushed through and the group stopped to eye those joining the debate. John noted Talbot and nodded toward the man. Talbot returned the gesture before addressing Anna.

"These two schmucks think they've got a right to this place."

Tension immediately stiffened Anna's body and John put out a hand to hold hers at the sight of both Green and Barrow. John's eyes flicked down to where an ankle monitor blinked feebly beneath the awkward scrunch of his business trousers. He met the man's expression and noted the internal argument between bluster and cower at the sight of John there.

"Right?" Anna finally managed, John holding her hand a bit tighter at the twinge of a break in her voice. "This place was purchased fair and square before you had to add that hideous accouterment to your leg."

"No thanks to you for that."

"I'd stay on topic, if I were you." Talbot almost growled before John could say a word and Green visibly balked, taking a half-step back. "What are you doing here and how do I politely tell you to sod off?"

"We're here about this." Barrow dug into his briefcase for a paper he handed to Talbot. Talbot's eyes flicked over it before he passed it to Anna and John. "According to that paperwork-"

"Which is incomplete and unnotarized." Anna flipped it for the rest of them to see. "We're not stupid and we can all read here."

"What I meant was-"

"That you're getting back in your ridiculous cars and driving the hell away from here before I have to plant my foot so far up your ass you can't walk straight." Talbot paused, shrugging at Barrow. "Only Green though, since you might enjoy that a little too much to get the point."

"You-" Barrow tried to go for Talbot but the other man dodged the body blow and landed an elbow at the base of Barrow's spine. It tripped Barrow's momentum forward and he sprawled face-first in the mud.

"Now, get your muddy ass off the ground and get off this property. It's private and you've not got the time to handle the potential prosecution if I decide to make a thing of it." Talbot took one step toward Green, grunting at the other man. Green stumbled and barely stopped himself following Barrow's example into the mud before hurrying toward his car. "What fecking jokes."

"Henry," Anna waved him over, still holding the paper Barrow passed to them. Talbot dismissed all the construction workers and they returned to their machines and labors, almost making it difficult for conversation. "What's this all about? Oil shale?"

"It came up about two days ago but Bertie only just got all the paperwork cleared to get a prospector out here to confirm the findings."

"And?"

Talbot looked between Anna and John before motioning for them to follow him. They entered a trailer and Talbot gathered them around a map so he could point out the details. "This is the line where the Gillingham property ends and Greener Pastures begins. Now, just before we finished the buy-out of this place, some workers here for Green discovered oil shale. They made a report about it and they had samples in for testing with the buy went through. Now, Barrow found out about the oil shale is trying to make a claim that we hid vital information about it when we bought the place to rob them of the money from mining it."

"What?" John shook his head, "That's ridiculous."

"You're talking about two people with fewer morals between them than some nations." Talbot shrugged, "Anyway, we've been fighting back against the potential suit and had our surveyor take a look at the details of the shale."

"What'd they find?" Anna leaned over the table and followed Talbot's finger.

"The vein runs into Greener Pastures and, if the survey is correct, holds a larger deposit than the entire land was worth when Margaret Bates bought it."

John coughed, "You're telling me that my mother bought a plot of land holding oil shale worth more than she saw in her lifetime?"

"Yes." Talbot pulled back from the table, folding his arms. "The question is what to do about it. Now that Green's making a fuss over it there are more than a few oil men paying Bertie and I some visits to talk about 'deals'."

"Strip the land for it and walk away rich?" Anna shook her head, "Not interested in any of that."

"I didn't think so." Talbot pursed his lips, glancing at John, before speaking. "But I think there's something to the idea of mining it ourselves."

"Mine it ourselves?"

Talbot nodded, "We'd preserve the land, contract to green mining, and net all the money ourselves. Keep business and oil barons out of it."

"That's a big venture." John flexed his jaw, "We've not got the expertise for it."

"I know a few people who might." Talbot held up a hand, "They're good people. Careful, respectful, and completely environmentally conscious. They've built a reputation on proper use of land."

John looked at Anna, "What do you say?"

Anna bit at her lip before nodding. "I think it's worth looking into. At least if there's a chance to better finance both properties with the added income."

"Perfect." Talbot clapped his hands together. "Then I'll go set up a meeting with them. Get their estimates and bring them to you in a week."

"A week?"

Talbot frowned, "You're technically still on holiday Anna. Even if you did sneak over here." His eyes narrowed, "What, did you see the construction vehicles?"

Anna nodded, "You can see the spot from the cabin we're in."

"Then I suggest you close the relevant curtains and enjoy your little holiday." Talbot shook his head at John, commiserating. "She's just a workaholic. No breaks for this one at all."

"I'll make sure she sits down at least once a day and eats something." John's fingers ran over Anna's hand. "Come on. We've got lunch back at ours."

"John," She caught his hand and held the paper up, tapping her finger on a line. "Do you recognize this name? The other one filing the suit?"

John squinted and then bit hard on his tongue to stop himself doing more than snorting air through his nose. "That's my old solicitor."

"I suspected." Anna handed the paper back to Talbot. "I guess we know now why he was so eager for you to sell to Green."

"He would've appraised my mother's property on her death. And…" John paused, "That's why Green wanted to buy it. He'd only get a pittance with the shale he'd dig up here but if he cracked the motherlode under Greener Pastures…"

"Then he'd take the lot." Anna went to say something else but Talbot held up a hand to stop them both.

"Whatever you've got going through your minds right now, forget it. You're going back to your cabin, shutting off your phones and the internet if you have to, and you're going to enjoy you're holiday. You'll forget about all of this until you're back at Maggie's Place, yeah?"

John sighed and nodded, taking Anna's hand in his grip. "Talbot's right. Might as well let him handle it."

"But-"

"Anna," John faced her. "This is what you pay him to do. Trust him to do his job and we'll sleep better for it."

"If you two are sleeping at all."

"Henry Talbot!" Anna whirled on him, "I'll tell your mother you said that."

Talbot paled and ushered them out the door. "I've got places to be and so've you so we'd best all get about them, eh?"

Talbot was in his car and away before Anna stopped her moment of fuming. John just shrugged and led Anna back to the path they made coming down the hill. She led them back to the cabin, as John was next to lost along the paths through the trees, and they kept quiet for most of the walk.

Stripping from his jacket and two layers of sweat-damp sweaters, John shook his head. "I need another shower."

"If you want to go first I'll follow." Anna pointed toward the fireplace, "Might as well get that going so you don't complain about being cold."

"You make me sound demanding."

"No, of course not." Anna let a little smile slip out. "I just find it impressive that a man of your size can be so cold."

"Only in certain conditions." John gathered his things. "I won't be a minute."

"I'll be waiting."

John rinsed off and was about to sort through his things when he noticed the extra cowboy hat in their luggage. He bit at his lip and then worked on his tightest pair of bowers before putting on one of the button-down shirts Anna helped him buy a year ago. Then he carefully slipped into the boots and walked on tiptoe to avoid the inevitable click of the heel on the wooden floors before making his way to the sitting room with the hat in his hand.

He went to put it on, grinning to himself, and opened his mouth to say something when it dropped to his chest. Anna, in her hat and boots with one of his shirts only half-buttoned, lay over the sofa. Looking up at him with a grin, she nodded. "Yep, that'll give me a fetish alright."

"You-"

"Planned this?" Anna motioned to herself and him. "Absolutely. Although I didn't think I could sneak so easily into the room and leave the hat while taking one of your shirts without you noticing but I didn't realize you sing in the shower."

"That was discovered with confidence." John leveled a finger at her before shifting his legs apart and wincing a bit as his already tight boxers tightened further. "You left the hat there?"

"You didn't bring one." Anna swung her legs to the floor and eyed him. "But I think you're cheating just a bit."

"Maybe." John lifted the hem of his shirt and noted the shiver that went through Anna. "Maybe not Jason Derulo or anything but-"

"Wait," She held up a hand. "You know who that is?"

"His picture was circling the internet for a few days so yes, I know who he is and what it means." John swallowed, "But, like I said, maybe not him but-"

"You're not even fully engaged yet." Anna stood off the sofa and walked toward him, "So I can understand your confusion."

"I didn't-"

"John," Anna took his hands and placed them on her hips under his shirt so he could trace the lack of knickers there. "I'd rather not waste time."

"Okay." John nodded and allowed his hands to wander from her hips to her back and over her ass before bringing her closer. "What's the hurry?"

"I want to ride you wearing these boots and this hat until I can't stand up straight anymore." Anna's fingers picked apart the buttons on John's shirt to push it off his shoulders. "If you're amendable to that plan."

"Absolutely." John tossed his shirt away and let his hat follow so he could duck his head under Anna's hat to kiss her.

Her hands smoothed over his chest to grab at his neck as John's hands firmed on her ass to lift her from the floor. With her legs wrapping over his hips and his boots clacking on the floor, John maneuvered them back to where Anna had laid on the sofa so he could sit. But Anna quickly maneuvered him, her fingers digging into the skin of his neck, to pressed John back against the cushions. It took a moment but soon he lay prone beneath her as Anna straddled his waist.

Anna broke the kiss, pushing herself back with her fingers dragging over his skin, and surveyed him from her position. "I rather like the view."

"So do I." John loosened his hold on her ass and let his palms drift over her thighs before tugging gently on the tails of her shirt. "I'd like it even better if I could see you."

"You can see me." Anna tipped her hat up slightly, her grin engaging as John trailed the buttons to the few she had done on her shirt. "I'm all right here."

"I know." John managed to get one free before Anna leaned over and laid a track of kisses over his chest. He groaned when she teethed at his nipples and responded to the grind of her against the material of his boxers threatening to tighten even further. "I just want to see more."

"You will." Anna sucked hard at John's nipple as he loosened another button and his hands wandered over the skin he uncovered for a moment. "In time."

"I'm not very patient."

"I know." Anna paused, lifting her face to kiss him. John put a hand to her neck, to try and keep her there, but Anna pulled away. With her tongue dragging over her lips she shook her head at him. "Not yet."

John almost whined when Anna climbed off him, her boots clicking on the wood, but gave a moan when she stripped his boxers down his legs so his erection rested against his hipbone. She licked her lips and finished unbuttoning her shirt before she straddled John again. But she took position with her back to him, forcing John to pout as she giggled at him.

"What's wrong John?"

"The point of the buttons was-"

And John knew Anna was fully aware of the point of the buttons when she bent over him to take his erection between her hands so her tongue could swirl over the tip of him. Swirl and taunt him until she moved her mouth lower and lower to take him deeper. Each progression left John mumbling almost incoherently until Anna practically swallowed him.

His hands dug red marks into Anna's legs as he strained his neck into the cushions of the sofa. The leather creaked under him as he pressed into it to stop himself trying to solve the growing pressure Anna shamelessly encouraged with her tongue running over his skin between her steady suckling of his arousal. John squeezed his eyes closed and tried to breathe normally until the slick run of Anna's slit against his abdomen drew his attention.

John forced his eyes open and loosened his grip on Anna's thighs at the realization of Anna grinding her clit against his abdomen as she continued her work with her mouth. Work that only made John more determined to touch her when Anna's fingers stroked and squeezed at his sack. The efforts all culminating in John snaking his arm over Anna's hip to press and slip between her legs.

Anna's back arched and John used his other hand to push the shirt up so he could kiss at the skin he could reach. The distraction worked to bring Anna from her labors with a final kiss to his tip as she sat up. Slowly enough that John wrapped his arm over her waist and brought her back to his chest as he sat up and let his hands smooth over the exposed skin of her chest. Skin he could not see.

Carefully kisses went to her neck and shoulder as John nudged the shirt off Anna's shoulders. It bunched at her elbows, restricting her movement slightly, but she sighed into John's affection as his hands settled at her breasts. Caressing and kneading them left Anna rolling her hips against his again, trapping his erection between her legs and slickening him with the dampness there to add to the wetness she left from her tongue.

John tried to bury his groan in Anna's shoulder but she adjusted and lifted for a moment, her hand squeezing him once, and slipped down to sheath him in a single stroke. From her position, her legs wrapping back behind him, it only took Anna another moment to fully adjust so John could go no further inside her. His naked ass turned so John could put his feet on the floor for better leverage and almost broke the moment with the whining sound his bare skin made on the leather.

It did not stop Anna. One of her arms wrapped back around John's neck, holding him closer to her as John's fingers continued their work on her breasts. His kisses turned sloppy and furious as Anna arched against him at the drive of his hips into hers and only continued into frenetic expressions of desire when Anna's free hand moved between her legs.

He watched, enraptured, as Anna stroked over herself. Watched her fingers manipulate and work in time with his motions. Endured the occasional stroke that, at first, seemed innocent and unintentional but soon registered as her intent to encourage him onward.

"You're teasing me." John could barely breathe the words next to Anna's ear before kissing desperately at her neck.

"I used to tease myself when you were away." Anna turned slightly, pressing her cheek tightly to John's and he only just registered the way her eyes squeezed shut as he flicked over her nipple in time with the drive of his hips into hers again, almost sending her bouncing on his lap. "Pretend my fingers were yours."

"Me too." John admitted and kissed Anna when her fingers wrenched in his hair to bring their lips together.

They worked faster, harder, and finally John let go. The forced stutters of his body, expending the last of his efforts, left Anna working out her climax into the skin of Jon's neck. Her fingers scrambled and scrabbled against his hair before releasing in time with John's slump back against the sofa cushions.

Their kisses met intermittently as they separated and Anna draped herself across John's lap, the shirt hanging open to leave her completely exposed to John. She tipped her hat back and John bit the inside of his cheek as an idea sparked. One that had him adjusting just enough to kick away his boots and grab for the hat he abandoned so early in the action.

Anna blinked blearily at him, smiling in time with the confused furrows to her brow, as John worked his boxers off and rearranged their positions so Anna lay over the sofa and he over her. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to fulfill a fantasy." John carefully placed one of Anna's legs off the edge of the sofa while the other went over his shoulder as he kissed toward her abdomen. "You wanted me in a hat."

"And boots."

"You've had the boots." John shushed her, sliding over her to kiss and suck at her breasts until Anna shuddered. "Now you get the hat."

"Do I?" Anna's arms lazily wrapped over his shoulders a moment to bring their lips together but let him go once John returned his affections to her neck.

"It's your holiday." John reminded her, returning to her breasts to kiss between them. "You can have me however you like."

"Can I?"

"Yes." John let his tongue trace over the skin of Anna's breasts before nipping at her skin and leaving her sighing.

His hands took over for his mouth as he cruised lower, leaving her writhing and arching beneath him as her leg took its place over his shoulder again. The sight of her, disheveled and wanting, had John quickly putting his lips over her clit and sucking hard. But the sound of her screech left John slowing and carefully running his tongue over the area before working lower.

The taste of her, unchanged, had John bringing one of his hands from the careful consideration of her breasts to her ass to better hold her as he dragged his tongue through her folds. To keep her in position when he let his tongue delve into her channel. And to help her climax when he returned to her clit before licking her free of the result of her finish.

A blush flushed her skin and left John finally recognizing the reality of his arousal. Anna's fingers dug into his arm and dragged him over her so she could kiss away all traces of her unique flavor while her leg from the floor wrapped his hip. Between them, and a moment fighting the sofa cushions, John had her leg off his shoulder and over his elbow to leave her open as he thrust forward.

The whining skid of their sweaty skin over the leather almost had John gritting his teeth. But the sounds Anna made, the rake of her nails over his skin, and the keening grip that brought their lips together for kisses that never seemed to completely satisfy her enough to leave them for more than a breath, distracted him from it. Left him to only rely on the bass thud of the blood in his ears, the pumping beat of his heart against hers as their chests press close to better angle the piston of his hips into hers, and the sticky slap of skin in time with the raise of Anna's hips.

Their punishing pace brought Anna over the edge again. She cried out into John's ear, her nails finding a new place to leave half-moon marks in his skin when her vaginal walls tightened around him, and left John to finish the pounding thrusts of his body into hers. The lack of finesse did not trouble her as John kissed her deep before releasing into her.

He tried to keep his weight off her, almost trapping Anna in the shirt as they twisted, but managed to arrange them sideways on the sofa. The hat fell from his head and when John tried to rescue it they almost tumbled from the sofa. Anna managed to right them and let the two cowboy hats settle on the same patch of sofa as their heartbeats slowed. Slowed enough for her to laugh.

"What?" John tried to press but Anna could not stop laughing, burying her face in his shoulder as her body shook with giggles. "It's not funny."

"It is." She wiped at her eyes, looking at him. "It's… It's the little, stupid things about this kind of interaction that are always a little more funny."

"If you say so."

"I do say so." She poked at him, "Too many people take it all far too seriously."

"But not you?"

"Never me." Anna shook her head, "Life is for laughing."

"Then laugh all you like." John smiled at her, "I love your laugh."

"Thank you." Still giggling, Anna dragged her finger down John's face. "and despite the little mishap, you were still very impressive Mr. Bates."

"I try." John kissed her finger before sighing back. "But now you'll have to wait at least twenty-four hours."

"Spoilsport." Anna went to nestle into him but her ringtone sounded from the kitchen. She pushed back, walking barefoot with just the shirt flapping about her, and John followed her progress to the kitchen. His arms went to the back of the sofa so he could rest his chin on them as Anna answered the phone. "Hello?"

Her face immediately fell and she nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you for telling me Bertie."

She hung up and John immediately took tension into his shoulders. "What?"

"Talbot was just in an accident."

"What?"

"They say he ran Green off the road… And killed him."


	20. Greener Where We Are

John leaned on the wall as Anna sat in the chair next to Talbot's bed. The same bed where he waited as a nurse checked over his bruised and bloodied body. But he still wore his jacket from earlier and despite the scrapes and cuts over his face and obviously tender limbs, he appeared relatively unharmed.

She finished, nodding at Anna and John, and left them alone in their circle of the A&E. Anna tapped her fingers against the chair as Talbot winced in his movements to grab for his jacket. "I do hope you're going to explain why the police are convinced you killed Green."

"I didn't kill the little shit."

"Then why do they think you did?"

Talbot sighed, grimacing as he managed to get his arm into one of the sleeves of his jacket. "Because I ran the idiot off the road."

"What?" John pushed off the road and Talbot turned to him to nod.

"I'm not proud of it. But when I left earlier, to meet with the representatives I discussed, I saw his car." Talbot shrugged and then paused, wincing. "I decided to get on his tail, just to irk him a bit."

"Why?" Anna made a face of disgust that almost immediately fell when Talbot looked at her.

"Because of what that shithead did to you." Talbot shook his head. "I let it go too long. I should've slashed the bugger's tires months ago and I didn't."

"I don't need anyone defending me, Henry."

"It wasn't about defending you. Or avenging you. Or anything…" Talbot stopped himself, taking a breath. "It was about letting him not get away with being a horrible person. So I drove up on his fender. I kept it there even when he sped up. And… Well he doesn't know how to drive his car well, just loud, and he served off the road. Clipped the front of mine and because it's top heavy…"

Talbot managed another shrug before finally giving into a groan. "You can guess the rest. Mine rolled and I got bumped around and his… Well his too-expensive car flipped and crashed. I don't know what happened after that."

"Were you unconscious?" John stood beside Anna, folding his arms over his chest for something to do with his hands.

"I think so." Talbot pointed to a spot at the back of his head. "I've got a goose egg here and I'm concussed so I might've been. The next thing I remember was the flashing lights and someone using a penlight in my eyes."

John winced, "Bugger."

"It is what it is." Talbot looked at Anna, "But I swear to you, as much as I hated the shit, I'd never kill him. I don't hate anyone enough to kill them and I'm not going to prison for anyone."

"Even when you could?" Anna's voice was quiet and John stilled at the tone there. "I know what a shot you are Henry. You could've hit him from that distance."

"Even if I wasn't concussed and unconscious?" Talbot shook his head, "I don't shoot frightened prey. I'm sure if the bugger got himself out of his car he was running away, shitting himself the whole time. Or pissing himself to shit, doesn't matter one way or the other."

"Who could've shot him?"

Talbot snorted, "Around here? Almost everyone's got a gun and a good eye. If they're not shooting at wolves and larger predator animals trying to get at livestock then they're part of the hunts to keep the elk populations down. The question isn't really about the 'who' but about the 'why'."

"Making the three of us prime suspects." Anna traced her finger in the air around them. "We're the one who would've wanted whatever injunction or court order Barrow was flapping around the Gillingham place to be stopped. We'd want the name on that suit to suddenly be a non-issue."

"Excluding other more personal reasons, you mean?" John risked but Anna only nodded sullenly. "What about all the other women who hated Green? Could they've killed him?"

"Possible but unlikely. The road was empty and to drive all the way out there…" Talbot pointed at the back of his head again. "No matter how shook this noggin was, I would've remembered another car on the road."

"Which rules us out." Anna leaned back in her chair, "Thank goodness. I couldn't imagine having to try and defend why I didn't kill someone."

"Wait…" John frowned, "Was Green shot?"

Talbot nodded, "I thought you knew."

"All I knew was that there was a car accident and you were accused." John looked at Anna, "Why didn't you tell me the rest of it?"

"I'm sorry, I thought you were aware." Anna shrugged, "It's why Henry's a suspect. He was close and he's an incredible shot. Still holds the record in the province, if I'm not mistaken."

"You're not."

"Then we'll just compare the bullets or whatever they always do on crime shows." John turned between Anna and Talbot but neither of them looked impressed. "What else could I possibly have missed already?"

"It was my gun."

"You said there wasn't anyone else on the road."

"There wasn't." Talbot insisted but paused, wincing again as he moved. "And I couldn't have fired my gun anyway. It's a high-powered rifle. It'd have the range and the aim but with my chest and shoulders feeling about like tender meat, I couldn't have picked it up and fired it."

"You haven't even managed to get fully back into your jacket." John noted and leaned over to help. "Would the police around here be dumb enough to think you could've fired that gun after what happened to you?"

"Depends on how much they hate people from the Rez."

"The…" John looked at Anna.

"The Reservation." Anna let out a sigh before frowning. "Wasn't… Wasn't Barrow in the same car with him?"

"They drove there separately." Talbot slid off the bed and checked his pace around the area of his bed. "I recognized both of their cars."

"But they left at the same time. Stands to reason he would've been on the road at the same time as Green, right?" Anna pushed herself out of her chair. "I think we need to find the officer in charge of this case."

John and Anna left Talbot to keep pacing himself around the bed and finally located the officer signing forms at the nurse's station. The moment he pushed the clipboard back toward the nurse managing the desk Anna spoke. "We think you're looking for the wrong man in all this."

"In all what?" The man frowned, his dark eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

"I'm John Bates and this is Anna Smith." John pointed to himself and then Anna. "We're here about the car accident. The one where Alex Green was killed."

"Alex Green wasn't killed in an accident unless someone was hunting the wrong time of year." That man straightened, "That man was killed with a high-powdered rifle. The same one we found in the boot of Henry Talbot's car."

"But Henry couldn't have fired that gun. He was too banged up in the crash. He's got bruises all over his body and can barely put on a jacket." Anna paused, breathing for the first time in her phrase. "And he says he was unconscious."

"The paramedics first on the scene reported that he did sustain a concussion but our preliminary test for the car says that he couldn't have been knocked out. His airbags never even engaged."

John bit at his lip, "What about the knot on the back of his head."

"The what?"

"Officer…" John maneuvered a moment, "Blake, Henry Talbot's got a goose egg on the back of his head. He's concussed and bad bruised. Is it even likely he could focus to fire that rifle, from that distance, and fire it even if he could hold it?"

The officer sighed, "Look, we've not arrested him. He's just a suspect because of the proximity and the fact it's his bloody gun." He threw his hands into the air, "Why am I even telling you this? It's none of your business."

"Because," John stepped forward, stopping Officer Blake from leaving. "We might have another suspect for you."

"You weren't even there."

"But another car had to've been because it's a lonely stretch of road and he left the construction site at the old Gillingham spread at the same time as Green." John glanced toward Anna and she nodded. "Thomas Barrow."

"Thomas Barrow's Mr. Green's solicitor." Officer Blake folded his arms over his chest, bunching his padded jacket near his shoulders. "What's he got to gain from killing his boss?"

"You mean the boss causing him all the legal trouble and getting in the way generally?" John waited but only a flicker passed over Officer Blake's eyes. "It's not as far-fetched as it seems."

"Maybe not but there's a question of your bias in all this." Officer Blake pointed between John and Anna. "You're both at odds with Mr. Green and his solicitor for… various reasons. Not to mention you're both friends with Mr. Talbot. The idea of Mr. Barrow being guilty isn't exactly being given without prejudice."

"Still doesn't mean we don't have a point." Anna bit at her lip. "Would it be to much trouble to look into it?"

Officer Blake sighed and then nodded, "I'd not be doing my due diligence if I didn't. And we've still not finished processing the scene itself so I can't say for sure. As of right now, Mr. Talbot's still our prime suspect."

"Understood." Anna nodded, deflating a little.

"Doesn't mean it'll stay that way." Officer Blake shrugged, "Who knows."

"We'd like to, when you've got any news."

Officer Blake just sighed, "If I need anything from either of you, please be available. Otherwise, allow us to do our jobs."

John and Anna watched him leave the hospital before returning to the bed where Talbot continued checking his pace. With his back turned, John finally noticed the lump on the back of Talbot's head and put his hand on Anna's shoulder. "I think someone knocked him unconscious."

"What?" Talbot and Anna's voices rang in unison, with Talbot's cutting out to moan as his swift movements sent the room into vertigo.

"Officer Blake said that their preliminary findings ruled it almost impossible for you to have knocked yourself out in the car because your airbags didn't deploy."

"Okay." Talbot pointed to his chest, "I've still got an imprint of my steering wheel here and my shifter on my side."

"But no reason for you to have a knot like that on the back of your head. That's a sucker punch. Someone came up behind you and cold clocked you."

"Before stealing my gun and pipping the ace at five hundred feet?" Talbot put a tentative hand to the back of his head. "Not impossible but not likely, remember, I didn't see another car."

"Not in front of you, but what about behind?" John suggested, shrugging at the incredulity coming from both Anna and Talbot. "Come on, does no on think it's possible that you were setup?"

"Absolutely but this is borderline ridiculous."

"Maybe but not impossible."

Anna crossed her arms over her chest before shrugging, "It's possible. If Henry was focused on the front then someone came up behind them… Again, maybe. But Henry's right," She pointed at Talbot. "The question isn't 'who' but 'why'."

"And my explanation to Officer Blake about Barrow wasn't enough to convince you?"

"It's about more than inconvenience." Anna paused, "But money always makes a rather impressive motive."

"Like the money someone inherits if they take it from a dead man." John stopped, "Or the money they swindle from a deal to sell a piece of land with oil shale underneath it."

"But Green already sold the Gillingham land."

"Because he wanted it and Greener Pastures." John tapped his temple, "I seem to recall an ex-solicitor of mine who happened to push rather hard for the sale of Greener Pastures just a year ago."

"Your spineless cephalopod of a solicitor?" Anna puffed her cheeks before blowing out air, "It's possible but I don't really think-"

"He would've dealt directly with Barrow, he's got motive against me for ignoring his advice and sacking him, and he's a crack shot."

"What?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "If I remember the picture I saw of that man I doubt he'd hold a pistol, much less rifle."

"He's still a good shot."

"Not with my gun." Talbot interjected, "It's not your average hunting rifle."

"But Barrow could manage with it." Anna pointed a finger at Talbot, "He's an excellent shot. His father worked for the Fishing and Game Commission. He was always just behind you in those competitions."

John clapped his hands together, wincing when the other two jumped, "Sorry, I got a bit overexcited."

"And we've already jumped the gun." Talbot put out a hand, "We're making assumptions that we've got no basis for."

"But it could be enough to get them to stop looking at you."

As it turned out, it was.

Even given the distance to a proper crime lab, the local police in town ruled another set of tire tracks followed those left in the wake of the accident and matched them to the car Barrow drove. A partial print of his was found on Talbot's gun and once they pulled him in for questioning he admitted everything. Right down to the outing of his accomplice in it all, George Murray.

Murray, who was caught at the airport before he could take his flight back to Dublin, was too late to cut a deal for himself and took the rap for conspiracy to commit murder, fraud, and conspiracy to commit theft. Barrow took the murder charge as well as the fraud charges. But their trial was only attended by Talbot, who sat in the gallery specifically to watch his name cleared in the eyes of the officers convinced of his guilt.

It kept the community in a tizzy for a stretch, added to it the complications of the charges still leveled against Green that now stood in a gray legal area at this death and the incarceration of his solicitor. But when Anna and John finally heard about it, at the end of their intermittent holiday, Anna grew quiet. They did not speak as they unloaded John's car and went about putting everything away. In fact, they did not speak until John found Anna in the redecorated study, sorting through paperwork without any real focus.

"I might not be in my place to ask this but…" John dragged the toe of his shoe across the floor. "Are you alright?"

"No." Anna turned in her chair toward him, her toes holding her in place to stop the chair spinning further. "I don't know what to feel about it all and that makes me anxious and tired and frustrated and upset all at the same time."

John took the other chair in the room, leaning his elbows on his knees to avoid sitting straight in the wooden chair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I…" Anna sucked her cheeks in before giving an exhale. "Everyone tells you to trust that justice'll be served. That everything will come around like it's supposed to. That good will out. That the cream rises to the top. That all things'll be made right but… I don't feel like that's what happened."

"Because you didn't want him dead?"

"After it happened I did." Anna's fingers twisted in her lap and she refused to look at John. "I wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze. I wanted to take a hammer to all the joints in his body. I wanted… I wanted to cause him so much pain that it would be impossible for him to not know what he did to me. What he made me feel."

"But you didn't."

"Henry said something, at hospital, that I knew was right. Even then."

"What?"

"He wasn't worth going to prison for." Anna let out a breath, "With all the rest of the women who came forward about him, what was my anger to theirs. Did I deserve to let him suffer while they didn't? And then… Then I thought about something the president of Rwanda said in an interview."

John raised his eyebrows, "What?"

"He said that, while it was the hardest thing to ask of a people who utterly destroyed and brutalized by their neighbors and former friends, he had to ask his people to forgive one another because justice couldn't solve all the problems."

"Bold of him."

"But he's not wrong." Anna leaned back in her chair, causing it to squeak a bit with the motion. "Justice isn't perfect. It's fair but not perfect. It's what happens when you've got a blind woman wielding a sword. Some people are going to get missed and some people are going to get hit by accident. It's the way of things."

"So you forgave Green?"

"Gods no." Anna shook her head, "I hope he burns in Hell."

They both managed a little laugh at that before quieting again so Anna could speak. "But I wasn't going to be the one to send him there. I was raised Christian and there's a principle there that God will take vengeance. He'll avenge all those wrongs and hurts that life inflicts and make it all right. And, for as Sunday School as it sounds, I have to believe that. For my own sanity if for nothing else."

"Then his death now…"

"It robbed me of the little justice I'd hoped to gain. It stole justice from those other women. And it led to two other people going to prison for a very long time so I guess all wasn't entirely lost."

"Guess not." John reached forward, taking her hands to kiss them. "You are…"

"Perfect?"

"Breathtaking, in every sense of the word." John shook his head, completely captivated by her. "You're the kindest, strongest, most selfless person I know. And not just because you've endured so much but because you never let it ruin you. You rose above it so don't tell me that cream doesn't rise to the top."

"Alright." Anna smiled at him, kissing his hands back before biting at her lip. "I've a suggestion I should've made a long time ago but that I'd like to make now, if you're amenable to it?"

"Dinner? Because I could-"

"No." Anna put her fingers over John's lips, "I want to take you to my bedroom, strip you naked, and finally have you on my bed."

John blinked at her, "Really?"

"Really. And," Anna reached behind her, pulling out a sheet of paper. "Here's the official paperwork for us to turn that cabin into our personal home. A place just for us, away from this."

"But this is your home."

"It has been and I wouldn't trade the time I spent here for anything but," Anna leaned back over the desk to sign the paper before holding it and the pen toward John. "I want us to move forward. That means we're going to need to move out of this place and make somewhere for ourselves."

"You're asking me to move in with you?"

"I am." Anna continued holding out the pen and the paper. "Unless you don't want to do that."

"Anna," John took the paper and pen from her, signing just as quickly before handing it back. "There's nothing I want more than to move forward with you."

"Then," Anna left the paper on the desk and took John's hand. "Take me to my bedroom John so I can ravish you."

He trailed behind her up the stairs and turned to her room. A room that caught all the lights of the lowering sun on the red walls. A room where a large bed promised comfort and decadence as John shut the door to leave them in peace.

The window let in natural light and it cast them in a golden glow. One that left every inch of Anna's exposed skin shining. Shining so much that John had to reach forward to touch it and assure himself she was real.

She responded with her hands to his chest and going up on her tiptoes to kiss him. A kiss Anna used to propel them backward so her knees hit the bed and they tumbled onto it together. It bounced a little and John struggled to get them comfortable, which only led to giggles and laughter as they fought the duvet and the bed itself.

John grinned at Anna, brushing a bit of her hair back behind her ear as he finally positioned himself over her. "This isn't a waterbed, is it?"

"Do I look like I live in the eighties?"

"Just curious." John winked at her, "But I'm honestly a little disappointed."

"About?"

"This bed is, by far, the most comfortable one we've ever shared and you've been keeping it to yourself."

"How could I ever make this an event without a ridiculously impressive bed to match it?"

John stopped above her, shaking his head. "Anywhere with you is impressive and wonderful and all the other adjectives I'll never have time to list."

"Because we'd be here forever?"

"And because I just want to kiss you and stop wasting time talking."

"Then do it Mr. Bates."

John followed her orders to the letter.

Between them, moving slowly when they paused long enough to savor the moment and furiously when they found themselves struggling to contain the desire to share the moment, they left their clothes in a haphazard pile at the end of the bed and moved over it for a more comfortable position. One that had John running his tongue down the line from Anna's neck to her breasts before proceeding further. And when he brought his mouth to her clit, Anna left her voice ringing off the walls in time to the work of John's tongue.

Her legs trembled and quivered about him when he used his fingers to enter her, bringing the ends of her first climax to feed into a second that came with an equivalent screech. One that John savored as he licked over Anna in a perfunctory cleaning that he relished almost enough to risk a third go. But her fingers digging into his scalp stopped him and John rose above her.

"I was supposed to ravish you." Anna breathed.

"We can ravish each other." John maneuver again, lowering his lips to Anna's breasts as the rise and fall of her chest beckoned shamelessly for his attentions. "I'm not picky or complaining."

And Anna did not either when John's lips at her breasts and his fingers between her legs encouraged a third orgasm.

With her legs boneless beside him and the aching twitch of his erection beckoning to him, John positioned himself over Anna and waited until her hazy eyes could finally focus. "May I?"

"Please."

John slid forward easily, barely moving her leg over his hip to ensure he reached the ends of her. The tingling spasm of her vaginal muscles had John putting his forehead to the pillow beside Anna's head to stop himself immediately releasing. But the control shattered when Anna's teeth nipped at his ear and she whispered to him about how he felt inside her.

"If you don't move, then I'll have to move myself." She taunted as John flexed his hips to fit the angle she encouraged. "And you're making that a bit difficult."

"How so?" John nipped at her shoulder before kissing toward her neck, rolling his hips into hers to leave Anna gasping out. "You're the one who's still tight."

"It's not my fault that you're so well-endowed." Anna ground her hips into his, her nails digging into his back and side before grabbing at his ass. "And probably the most dexterous I've ever had."

"You're making it…" John fought for breath, "Keep going."

"Like how you keep trying to sink deeper or how you still taste a little bit like me?" Anna's fingers raked over his back before reestablishing her hold to bring him closer to her as her ankles locked just under his ass. "Or how your reach further inside me because-"

John stopped her then, kissing her hard and then moaning when Anna controlled the kiss with her tongue. He thrust frantically, seeking the right angles to leave Anna tightening around him until her cry broke their kiss. The resulting cling of her rippling muscles left him victim to a punishing piston of his hips that had him releasing before sagging on Anna.

She still held him close, running the tips of her fingers over his back and side until John turned then on the bed. They stay together as the afternoon turned to dusk and eventually separated for showers. When they both finished, John sitting on the edge of Anna's bed in a towel, he cleared his throat.

"I need to ask you something."

"What?" Anna stopped drying her hair, holding the towel in one hand as she looked at John. "What is it?"

"Will you take me camping? Like in a tent and everything?" Anna's eyebrows rose and John hurried to explain. "Just for one night. Up to the spot where my mother decided she liked the place."

"I guess." Anna joined him on the end of the bed. "I hate camping but I'll guess you've got something planned or you wouldn't have asked."

"I want to see the sunrise from there." John nudged her with his shoulder. "You told me it was beautiful."

"I did." Anna nodded, "To my never-ending shame."

"Because you hate mornings."

"Correction, I loathe mornings." Anna smiled at him, putting her hand over his. "But I think I can make an exception for this. But it won't be until after Talbot brings those surveyors here. I want to get business out of the way before I go camping. Make sure I'm not overanxious and uncomfortable."

"You could just say no."

"No," Anna shook her head, leaning over to kiss John as her fingers wove through his hair. "I couldn't and I wouldn't."

"Then we'll go once we've met the representatives."

Talbot had them round the next day. The study proved too cramped for the meeting so John, Anna, Pelham, and Talbot all took their places on one side of the long dining room table as the maps and scans and estimates filled the space between them and the representatives. They all shifted in their seats as Talbot provided the necessary introductions.

"This is Violet Crawley, owner of Grantham Mining, and her son Robert, his daughter Mary, and his son-in-law Tom Branson." Talbot took a breath, "Ms. Crawley… Mary Crawley is the advisor on the project and will be our liaison, if we decide to use Grantham Mining for our interests. Tom here is the expert and the surveyor. He's the one who provided most of the estimates you and Bertie've studied for the last few days Anna."

"And you think you can get at the shale without destroying what we've built here?" Anna leaned forward, John sitting back to watch her work. "You think you can make money on this without losing the environment we've got?"

"I think we can do more than that." Branson tapped some of the papers between them, "I think we could clear out the shale on your newer construction site so you can build there before he drill in sideways to get at the lode under Greener Pastures. It'll be safer that way, and more efficient."

Anna looked at John, "What do you think?"

"I think I'm willing to listen to their plans." John opened his hand to the group. "Please tell us how you'd do this."

The meeting lasted well into the afternoon, breaking only for the lunch Mrs. Patmore insisted they eat, and continued as if never paused. Most of the conversation passed between Talbot, Pelham, Branson, Anna, and Ms. Mary Crawley while John watched them debate. He listened carefully to their estimates, ideas, and finally interrupted another almost-argument between Talbot and Ms. Mary Crawley.

"I think we've gotten to the point where we're discussing the minutest of future possibilities as if we've already given over the offer." John looked to Anna, who nodded, before addressing the other side of the table. "As far as I'm concerned, I'd say you're hired and we'd like you to start as soon as you can."

"Finally some sense." Ms. Violet Crawley stood up, her hand gripping tightly to a cane. "I've been waiting for you all to realize where this was going for hours. And now I'm sore and we've already given a few hours of our consultation out for free so I do hope you'll all keep that in mind."

As they all departed, Talbot and Branson taking Bertie for a drink while Ms. Mary Crawley joined her father and grandmother in their car, John leaned on the porch railing and sighed. "That went well."

"I just hope Henry and Mary work out their issues."

"You mean the arguing?" John jerked a thumb back toward the dining room. "It was just professional debate as far as I could tell."

"Then you're not aware they've been sleeping together for a few months now?" Anna waited as John's eyebrows rose. "They're getting very serious and they don't want anyone else to know."

"And that's how they keep it a secret?"

"Remember that we tried to keep it a secret once." Anna checked the sky and then her watch. "If we hurry then I can fulfill on my promise."

"You'll go out and camp with me?"

"One night only." Anna raised a warning finger. "And we're taking the horses because I'm not tramping up there on foot."

"I'll get my things."

Within an hour they were on horseback with their accouterments for the night and the next morning strapped to their saddles. The route bore all the traces of spring runoff and the snow of just a few weeks earlier as they worked themselves higher up into the mountains to stop where John had left his mother's ashes. He took to unloading the horses and leaving them with long leads between two trees before helping Anna construct the tent as the fire crackled and flickered behind them.

They roasted a few easy things, sharing marshmallows that stuck to their fingers, and finally crawled into the tent to sleep. But even with the foam mats and padding, John felt every rock and root digging into his back. When he moved for the hundredth time, Anna slapped at him and ordered him to pick a position and suffer through it before she packed it all back up and forced them down the mountain. He dozed fitfully after that but did not move.

The barest hint of light woke him and John nudged Anna. She grumbled into her pillow before punching it away and heaving a sigh when John's whispers persisted about seeing the sunrise. "Fine."

They crawled from the tent, John building the fire back up to try and shake away the frosty chill as Anna checked the horses and their blankets, and chose a rock where they could watch the sun peek over the top of the mountains. As the beam of light rested on the valley, John turned to Anna and cleared his throat. "I had a reason for this."

"More than just that I suggested it last year and we've finally made it?"

"More than that." He dug into his pocket and held the velvet-encased box in his hand. "I want to give this to you. To offer it with my love and affection and my whole self but I don't want to offer you something you don't want. And I wouldn't want you in a position to feel like you'd break my heart if you said no."

Anna paused, biting at the inside of her cheek before meeting his eyes. "Are you afraid I'll say no?"

"I'm more afraid that I'll offer something you're not ready for yet and then… I don't know," John shrugged, "You'd feel like you'd have to say yes when you don't mean it yet."

"We're moving in together."

"That doesn't mean you're ready to accept my proposal for marriage." John opened the box, showing her the silver ring inscribed with Celtic knots. "Or this."

"That was your mother's."

"I know." John swallowed, "And I want you to wear it. Maybe not today or even a few months from now but, when you're ready, I'd like to see it on your finger. I'd like to add another ring to it when we're married. But I'm willing to-"

"Yes."

John blinked, "Yes?"

"Yes." Anna nodded, giving him a little smile. "It's the easiest question anyone's ever asked me."

"But you've…"

"Not told you that I love you yet?" Anna pointed toward the sunning valley below them. "I told you that there would be a time, when we're alone and the world is quiet, and it'd be just us with the universe so only nature would be our witness when I could tell you."

"And that's now?"

"That's now." Anna looked around them, "This is the place where big decisions are made, John. This is the place where we'll say our vows to one another one day. And the place where I'm going to tell you, unreservedly, that I love you."

"I love you too. So much."

"Then," Anna stuck out her left hand, "I'll accept that ring now."

John slid it onto her finger, kissing just above the knuckle where it rested before drawing back. "You've no idea how happy you've made me. How happy I'm going to spend the rest of my life making you."

"I trust you will." Anna looped her arms around his neck, "However, whatever, whenever."

"Forever." John corrected her, kissing at her nose. "I know the ground's not very comfortable but…"

"I absolutely want to have sex with you right now."

They managed to get back into the tent and John almost did not notice the ridges and roots digging into his back when Anna perched above him to run her tongue over his arousal. Or when he positioned her just right so he could bring her to climax with his tongue as she dug her fingers into his hair. Or when Anna finally straddled him and he rose up to hold her close as they rocked and gyrated together to their mutual orgasm. One they shared only with one another and the nature about them in the quiet of the morning.

Afterward, still coming down from their high, John ran his fingers over Anna's back as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe you thought I'd say anything but yes."

"Well," John shifted to better look at her. "I'm not always as confident as I pretend to be you know."

"I know." Anna leaned up to kiss him before wiggling the fingers of her left hand in front of his face. "I can't wait to be your wife."

"For good and proper." John smiled up at her, "As soon as you like."

"Forever's already off to a good start then."

"I'd say it is."


End file.
